The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword
by ArchAngel1973
Summary: Summary: AU with aliens. After witnessing a murder, New York journalist Maria DeLuca is forced to leave town and go into hiding… what better place to hide than Roswell, NM?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Characters and plot lines that appeared in the series, the books, and the concept of Roswell are not mine. Belong to Melinda Metz, UPN, etc, etc…

**Part 1**

"Two key witnesses are already dead, Ms. DeLuca. That means the outcome of the trial will hinge on your testimony." District Attorney Will Grayson stood behind his desk and did his best to rein his temper in as he reached for a bottle of antacids and shook out a couple of the chalky pills.

_Difficult cases he could handle but why did he always end up with the most difficult witnesses too?_ "You're a very public figure and this case has gotten a lot of attention by the media; your refusal to go into protective custody until the trial is over makes you an easy target. There's already been one attempt on your life and it was only by sheer luck that you weren't killed too."

"Yes, how lucky for me that my mother died in my place." Disdain dripped from the words even though her tired voice held no heat. "Your detectives did a wonderful job keeping her alive." She turned away from the large window that looked down over the city. "How do you explain the deaths of two witnesses and my mother, Mr. Grayson? They were all being protected by your detectives at the time of their deaths."

"Protected, yes," he snapped, "but there is only so much we can do when people won't agree to protective custody."

"Why should law-abiding citizens be expected to be detained in protective custody while the criminals you want them to testify against are free to come and go as they please?" Maria asked, a ferocious look on her face.

"I know the system isn't perfect - "

Maria DeLuca's arms flew through the air wildly as she screamed in anger. "This goes beyond an imperfect system and you know it!"

Will looked at the other man in the office and fervently wished he would say something helpful. Justin Turner was his cousin and the editor of the newspaper where his star witness was employed.

"I'm going home," she said suddenly.

"Could you have been less helpful if you had tried?" he grumbled after she stormed out of the room. "Five weeks is an eternity in a situation like this; does she honestly think she has a better chance of staying alive without protection?"

"Can you guarantee her safety _with_ protection?" Justin asked as he rose to his full height. At six-foot-three with blond hair, blue eyes, and chiseled features he resembled a Norse god. Add to that the deep, raspy voice and it was no wonder that everywhere he went women were constantly throwing themselves at him.

"There are no guarantees in life, Justin."

Justin remained silent for a few seconds before asking, "You're sure you can get her on the stand five weeks from now?"

"Barring any further complications, yes."

The editor nodded. "I'll get her outta the city and keep her off the radar until then."

Will snorted. "How do you intend to do that exactly?"

"Investigative journalism," he said with a grin. "What else?"

"Justin?"

He stopped with one hand on the door and turned to look at his cousin.

"Don't tell anyone where she's gonna be." He shook his head. "Don't trust anyone with that information. It would also be wise to make sure she has plenty of cash; you don't want her using credit cards."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Justin, I am not going into seclusion just because no one in the justice system seems to be capable of doing their damn jobs…"

He ignored her ranting as he closed her apartment door behind him, pushing half a dozen locks into the locking position before he turned to look at her. "I didn't ask you to go into seclusion; believe me, if I thought you'd consider it I would've brought it up. But I already know you're too goddamned stubborn to listen to anybody when you're this pissed off."

Maria stalked through the rooms, angrily slapping the wall switches and turning the lights on as she passed them. She was doing her best to ignore Justin because she knew he was going to do whatever the hell he wanted to do anyway; whether she agreed with him or not was irrelevant.

"You wanna stand here an' argue about this all night then that's what we'll do, but I'm not backin' down on this one." He stood in the center of the living room and scowled at the large picture window that was uncovered, revealing the interior of the apartment to anyone who was interested enough to look. Crossing the room he jerked the curtains closed and turned to face her, arms crossed over his broad chest as he stood there and prevented her from pulling the curtains back once more.

"Open them back up."

"Are you tryin' to get yourself killed?" he snapped, grabbing her arm when she attempted to push past him. "Leave 'em closed."

"I'm not afraid of Marcos or his hired guns."

"Maybe you should be, because, damn it, Maria, if you keep actin' like this you're gonna get yourself killed. And maybe you don't care right now, but I do." The hand gripping her arm relaxed slightly and his deep voice gentled. "I know losin' your mom like that was rough, especially after losin' your dad last year when his heart failed, but that's no excuse for just takin' stupid risks like you've been doin' lately."

"I'm not running from that bastard," she stated adamantly. "I will not hide from him. If he comes after me - "

"Why do you say it like it's somethin' that _might_ happen? He will come after you and when he does you're not gonna have any protection because you keep refusin' it."

"Protection," she scoffed. "The protection they can give me here is laughable, and you know it. I tried to tell the D.A. that this goes up higher than just a few cops on the force; we're talking major corruption and it goes all the way up the chain."

Justin sighed and shook his head slowly. "I understand your reluctance to put yourself in their hands, which is why I suggested a new assignment."

"A new assignment?" She shook her head. "No, Justin, you suggested sending me to the middle of nowhere to cover something completely absurd… something I would never in my life cover, and in a place I told you I would never step foot in - "

"Exactly."

"No." Maria shook her head and pulled her arm out of his grasp as she backed away from him and started to pace restlessly. "No, I told you why I would never go back there."

"Maria, nobody knows about it, and that makes it the perfect place to hide, darlin'."

"Hide." She spit the word out as if it had a bad taste. "Why should I be the one who has to go into hiding? _I_ didn't do anything wrong."

"Y'know, as much as I love that stubborn streak, I don't wanna see it get you killed." He paused for a minute before trying a different approach. "Don't think of it as hidin', think of it as research."

"Research for an article I have no intention of writing."

"Not for an article; write that book you've been talkin' about."

"Write a book about a place that I hate and things I don't believe in." She snorted derisively and finally stilled, watching him as he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over the back of the couch. "I suppose you intend to stay the night."

"For an investigative journalist you're very observant," he mocked.

"Which would be why you keep me on the payroll." She made a waving motion towards one end of the hall as she walked past him. "You know where the guestroom is."

"What, no perks for puttin' myself between you and dangerous men with guns?"

"I'm not throwing you out, am I?" she shot back over her shoulder.

"Just keep the curtains closed and stay away from the windows," he called when she left the room. "Please." Justin dropped down into one of the chairs and slumped sideways, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly. The woman was stubborn, hardheaded, and didn't back down for anything… and if she were anyone else he would've washed his hands of her long ago.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria was growing impatient with Justin's overprotective behavior; normally she tolerated it with good humor, but she was reaching the end of her rope. She felt like she had lost control of her life and because he was the one trying to keep her safe she directed all of her anger at him when she spoke.

"I can handle myself!" she yelled, causing more than a few eyebrows outside of the office to lift in curiosity. "I don't need a goddamned handler!"

"No, you need…" He trailed off and the expression in his eyes became speculative as he glanced out through the glass walls of his office. "Whitman."

Maria sat up so she could turn around, shaking her head when her gaze settled on her friend. Alex Whitman was tall, lanky, had dark, shaggy hair, wore wire-rimmed glasses over his gray eyes, and had a perpetual five o'clock shadow. He was a photojournalist for _The Daily Oracle_ and her best friend, and that was exactly why he couldn't accompany her on this farce of a trip. "No." She rolled her eyes when Justin picked up his desk phone and asked his secretary to page the man to his office. "I realize you're not a big fan of the word no, but, _**no**_. I will not knowingly put someone else's life in danger."

Justin sighed as he rested one hip on the corner of his desk. "You didn't knowingly put your mother's life in danger, Maria."

Maria shook her head. "Don't sugarcoat it for me, Justin; we both know what happened." There was no way that she was going to put another person she loved through this. She wouldn't be able to handle it if something happened to Alex too. "I said no, Justin."

"Like you said, darlin', I'm not a big fan of the word no." He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her thoughtfully. "Whitman has a dangerous job and he knows how to take care of himself."

"And even with all of his field experience, he will be no match for Marcos if he comes after me." Maria was growling like an angry animal. _Why couldn't Justin just respect her wishes?_

"I'm not gonna order him to go, Maria."

"It doesn't matter." She slumped down in her chair and drummed her fingers on her knee, acknowledging that he was going to do what he wanted to do regardless of her feelings on the subject. "The minute you tell him what's going on…" She just shook her head when she heard the knock on the door and Justin moved to open it.

"Maria!" Alex greeted, dropping down in the chair beside her with a grin the size of Texas. He tipped his head to one side, studying her when she forced a small, tense smile before turning her attention back to her hands. "Okay, what's up? You look like a kid waitin' in the principal's office for your parents to come and get you. Should I expect to see your mom anytime soon?"

Maria swallowed hard. "No."

Justin suddenly realized that her best friend was unaware of the recent events. "You haven't told him?"

Alex shifted to the edge of his seat, turning so he could look at her more fully. "Maria?" He glanced at their boss, frowning at the man's concerned expression and his friend's refusal to make eye contact. "What's goin' on?"

"Are you aware of the story that Maria's been workin' on?" Justin asked, drawing the other man's gaze.

"You mean the one about corruption in the 14th Precinct?" Alex nodded. "Sure, I know about it; did you finally get enough proof to run the story?"

"She got enough proof, but the story's been shelved for the present time; the situation became complicated when she witnessed a hit by one of Marcos Salazar's people." He nodded when Alex's shocked gaze swung from him to Maria and back again.

"Y'know what?" Maria snarled as she jumped to her feet and pulled the door open. "You can have this conversation without me."

"Maria - "

"I'll be in my office, Justin."

Alex settled back in his seat when the door slammed after her, worried by her unexpected public display of temper. It was rare that she allowed her negative emotions to step out like that, and on those occasions when it happened it was usually due to something that was causing her to stress out. "She refused police protection because she doesn't trust them," he guessed.

"Yeah, and I certainly don't blame her there," Justin said, dropping down in the leather chair behind his desk. "Problem is she's refusing any kind of protective custody from any agency. When if first started she allowed Will to assign a couple of detectives that he trusts completely to shadow her, but it didn't stop Salazar's men; there were two other witnesses and they've both been killed in _accidents_. An attempt has already been made on Maria's life, but she will not back down on takin' the protection."

"What's Amy say about that?"

Justin shook his head. "Amy agreed with Maria's decision."

"Even with the attempt made on her life?" Alex asked, his tone incredulous.

"The attempt made to remove Maria as a threat to Salazar's organization failed, but they were successful in takin' the one thing that meant more to her than her own life."

Alex understood what the man was saying without actually hearing the words and he was shocked to say the least. "When did it happen?"

"Two weeks ago. She blames herself because they went out in public against Will's advice, but you know the DeLuca women don't let anyone tell them what to do." He shook his head. "She couldn't attend the funeral because it was too public and I know that just about killed her, but I haven't been able to get her to talk to me. I had no idea that she hadn't talked to you; I just assumed she called you as soon as it happened." He slammed his fist down on the desk, annoyed that she had managed to slide that past him. "Hell, if I'd known that I would've recalled you."

"Okay, well, knowin' Maria, I'm guessin' this has only made her more determined to testify, so when's the big day?"

"Five weeks from now. Since she won't accept protection of any kind I'm sendin' her out of state - "

"I'll go with her," Alex interrupted. "I've got more than enough vacation time saved up to take that much time off, and more if I need it."

"I figured you'd say that, but I don't expect you to call this a vacation. You'll both remain on the payroll for the duration, so don't worry about that. You won't be able to use anything that could leave a trail, so no credit cards, checks, no personal cell phones, no emails or instant messaging, and absolutely no communication between you guys and this office or anyone affiliated with your personal lives."

"No problem; I'll pull cash from my savings."

"Huh-uh. We have no way of knowin' who they're watchin', and as her friend, you could potentially be on that list. I would just tell you to expense it all on the company credit card, but that could be traced just as easily, so it's gotta be cash. Since it's not unusual for me to deal in large amounts of cash I've already taken care of getting what you'll need to cover expenses."

"Sounds like you've put some thought into this," Alex observed. "I suppose you've already got a destination in mind?"

"Roswell, New Mexico."

Alex scratched his shadowed jaw as he shook his head. "She's never gonna go for that."

"It's the perfect location; no one's gonna think anything of a couple of reporters in town to get the scoop on the truth behind the alien mythology. As far as her not goin' for this idea… well, we've been arguin' about that all damn day."

The photojournalist chuckled at the frustration audible in the big man's voice and he sat up straighter. "Need some backup?"

"Can you convince her?"

He nodded. "I can handle Maria."

"Are you able to leave from here? I know you've been outta the country…" He nodded and left his comment unfinished when the other man waved one hand dismissively.

"All of my gear's in my office along with my luggage; I came straight here from the airport."

"Her gear and luggage is in her office, too." He rubbed his hands over his face tiredly. "She's not happy about it and she's pissed at me for pushin' this."

Alex knew that without hearing it; Maria could be one of the easiest people to get along with, but if you pissed her off… look out! "No problem. How're we getting out there?"

"A commercial flight's too risky and even a private flight will have to file a flight plan, so I thought the train might be the best way to handle travel arrangements; it'll take about 48 hours for the trip, but you should be able to remain anonymous. I've got someone who looks similar to Maria who's gonna hang out at her apartment until you guys are safely outta the city." Justin stood and crossed the room to stand in front of the safe built into the wall; he punched in a seven-digit code and turned the handle to open it. He reached inside and lifted out the small metal case lying on the bottom, carrying it over to his desk and placing it on the polished surface. He sat down once more and remained silent for several minutes before he gently pushed it so that it was resting at the edge in front of the photojournalist.

Alex leaned forward and picked the box up, studying the combination lock before glancing up at his employer. He dialed the three digits at the man's prompting and he raised the lid, eyebrows lifting at the contents. There was more than enough money to cover a lengthy stay out of town, but it was the gun lying on top of the neatly-bound stacks of bills that caught his attention.

He had been required to take a survival and weapons-handling course before Justin had allowed him to take his first assignment covering the more dangerous stories, so he wasn't unfamiliar with guns or how to use them. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

Justin watched him, knowing that even though he could handle the weapon he was a pacifist at heart. "You okay with this?"

Alex shrugged. "No, but I'll do everything I can to protect her." He closed the lid and shifted the numbers so that it locked once more. "Hopefully I won't ever need it." He stood up and stretched, exhausted from the earlier flight. "I'd better go talk to her, let her know what's goin' on."


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Maria was pacing the confines of her office, muttering to herself when Alex knocked on the open door and walked in without waiting for an invitation. He closed the door behind himself and waited until she moved past him to step further inside and take a seat on the edge of her desk.

"You're not going," she said.

"Oh, I'm goin' and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop me."

"Alex, it's too dangerous, and I won't risk losing you to this – "

"Why didn't you call me, Maria?" he interrupted, stopping the flow of words before she could really get worked up.

"What would you have done, Alex?" She was angry at the position she had been put in and it was coming out in her tone as she snapped at him.

"I would've been back a helluva lot sooner."

"There was no reason – "

"_No reason?_" he echoed, his own temper flaring in response to her dismissal. "You lost your mother, Maria, and you were denied the chance to say goodbye to her; seems to me that might warrant a call to your best friend. Not to mention the fact that you're on Salazar's hit list and you've refused protective custody." He shook his head and held a hand up, stopping her before she had the chance to speak. "I understand why you refused the protection that was offered, but I really don't get why you didn't call me."

Maria could hear the hurt mixed in with anger when his voice lowered. "What were you and Justin talking about?"

"Me goin' with you to…" He trailed off, nodding as understanding dawned on him. She was scared that he would get hurt or worse if he was around her. "If Salazar intends to target me as a way of getting back at you I wouldn't be any safer hangin' around here while you disappear for a while, would I?"

"Please tell me you're not about to agree with Justin," she pleaded.

Alex grinned, nodding when her shoulders slumped and she conceded defeat. "No one'll ever look for you there, Maria. Besides, think of how much fun we could have in what is sure to be a crappy little tourist trap. Can you imagine how ridiculous that town's gotta be with all the UFO museums and alien-themed businesses? C'mon, it'll be fun." He could see the conflicting emotions crossing her features, each one rapidly chasing after the one before it and he reached out to take her hand and pull her into his arms. "Your mom wouldn't – "

"I can't talk about it, Alex." She shook her head as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, accepting the small measure of comfort. "I just… I can't."

"Okay." They were silent for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. "So, you ready to go uncover the big alien mystery?"

Maria smiled at his teasing tone. "You do know that's just a bunch of bull, right? You don't really think we're gonna find an actual alien, do you?"

"You're not the slightest bit curious?"

She snorted. "No."

"How is it that your parents were such big believers in the paranormal and you're not the slightest bit open to the possibilities?"

"I spent most of my childhood moving from city to city because my parents were always chasing sightings, and I hated it, Alex."

He had known that, of course, but he needed to get her mind off of her mother's recent death. "It just still surprises me that you have no interest in the subject."

"You became a photojournalist out of defiance and you're questioning _my_ motives?"

He chuckled at her comment. He came from a military family and he was the first to choose a career outside of the armed forces. His father had nearly had a coronary when he had announced his intentions to pursue a career in journalism. "I'm takin' my equipment anyway," he said as she pulled herself together and backed out of his embrace. "A picture of an actual alien or a UFO would be worth a lot of money."

"God, you're gonna enjoy this," she groaned as she walked around her desk.

"We're both gonna enjoy it," he corrected with a grin as he reached out to open the door. "Hey, we enjoyed Jamaica, didn't we?"

"Jamaica had a beach, the ocean, and enough fine men to keep it interesting." She shook her head and dropped down in her chair. "Roswell isn't gonna have any of those things."

"But they've got alcohol."

"What?"

"Well, enough alcohol and everyone starts lookin' good." He just laughed aloud when she glared at him.

"You swore you would never mention that again."

"No, I swore I'd never let you attempt to pick up anything that ugly again." He rapped his knuckles against the door as he walked out. "Be back in a minute," he called over his shoulder.

_He was never gonna let her live that down,_ she thought morosely. Their birthdays were only a few weeks apart and they had decided to celebrate their twenty-first in New Orleans at _Mardi Gras_ with their significant others. They had been friends since meeting at NYU their freshman year, but the weekend in New Orleans had cemented their friendship.

Her parents had been somewhere up north chasing yet another UFO sighting and his parents had been transferred to another military post courtesy of the Army, so neither of them had any family to celebrate with. To top it all off her boyfriend had broken up with her _on_ her birthday, so when the bartender placed a drink called a Hurricane in front of her she had happily set about drowning her sorrows.

The alcohol had hit her food-deprived system fast and if it hadn't been for Alex noticing that she had been drunkenly putting the moves on a guy she would've normally avoided when sober, she was certain she would've made the biggest mistake of her life that night. His girlfriend had thrown a fit when he had insisted on taking care of his friend, irritated that their plans had been circumvented. She had given him an ultimatum, expecting him to choose between them, and she had not been happy when he hadn't chosen to leave Maria drunk and alone at the hotel.

She smiled at the memory; Alex was her best friend, confidant, and occasionally her savior. They had been friends for almost a decade and he was the only family she had left now. She forced that thought away, still unable and unwilling to deal with her most recent loss. She sighed when she glanced up and saw Alex walking back to her office with his bags, talking to Justin and getting some last minute instructions before their departure. _God, please don't make me regret this,_ she prayed silently.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The streets of Roswell were busy by small town standards and Michael Guerin ignored the sound of horns blaring as he dodged a couple of cars in his haste to reach the opposite side without walking to the crosswalk. He stepped up on the sidewalk and reached out to open the door of the Crashdown Café, intending to pick up his to-go order, pay for it, and be on his way once more.

He had walked out on another job just that morning and he was pissed at the repeated failures that seemed to mark his journey through life. At twenty-six years old he had experienced more failures than successes and he had long ago accepted that his life wasn't going anywhere.

The waitress behind the counter swallowed hard when she saw him and he waited just inside the entrance to see if she was going to bolt. His order had gotten screwed up the day before and he had reduced the woman to tears before taking his corrected order and leaving.

"Michael."

He cursed aloud as he turned his head to look at the one person in the crappy town who treated him like he wasn't worthless. "Isabel." He ran one hand through his dark blond spikes and shifted from one foot to the other as she approached him.

Isabel Evans was tall, blond, with dark brown eyes, and perfect features. She was the type of woman who commanded respect and intimidated people with her very presence. "I heard a rumor that you are once again unemployed," she said, not bothering to mince words. "Truth or rumor?"

"Does it matter?" He moved around her but she grabbed his arm before he had the opportunity to stalk out of the café.

"It matters because you're throwing my reputation away with yours," she snapped angrily. She released his arm and they walked outside, standing on the sidewalk as she waited for him to respond. "Michael, what was wrong with this job?"

"The same thing that's wrong with all of them, Isabel! Look, I know you're tryin' to help, that you want me to do somethin' that's better than bartending, somethin' that might have some kinda future in it… but, that's just not me, and eventually you're gonna have to accept it. I'm good at bartending and I don't have to worry about makin' a good first impression on anyone with that job. Nobody gives a damn how rude or unsocial I am as long as I don't fuck up their drinks."

She sighed loudly and shook her head. "Michael, you've got potential – "

"I've gotta go," he interrupted. "My shift starts in an hour." He shook her hand off of his arm and hurried off in the opposite direction, leaving his dinner in favor of escaping. He knew better than to let himself believe any of the nonsense she was spouting; if he had any potential at all he wouldn't still be trapped in this shitty town, working as a bartender, and living in the trailer park.

He didn't bother looking up when he bumped into someone before stepping off of the curb and crossing the street. _Don't think about it,_ he thought angrily. _Forget about it and focus on somethin' else._

Isabel flashed a tight smile at the couple Michael had practically knocked down in his haste to get away from her. "Sorry," she said, pausing to give the dark-haired man the once-over before taking her leave.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria knocked on the door that connected the two suites together, waiting for Alex to invite her in before she opened it and stepped inside. She had expected to have a fight on her hands about the rooms and she had been surprised when he had capitulated with the condition that they get connecting suites. He hadn't been nearly as easy to convince with their accommodations on the train and they had spent two days cooped up in the small compartment together.

She knew he was just worried about her safety, and she had done her best to contain her dwindling patience with his constant presence. He must have picked up on her feelings because when she had insisted on two rooms at the hotel he had simply nodded and taken care of registering at the front desk.

Since his attire consisted of a towel wrapped around his waist and water was still dripping off of the ends of his hair she knew he had just gotten out of the shower. He was on the phone inquiring about local clubs while she wandered around the room, checking it out.

Alex dropped the receiver back in the cradle and watched Maria as she moved around, examining the room as if it actually interested her. He chuckled to himself, knowing that the room was identical to the one she had, and she was just burning off nervous energy. He hadn't argued with her about getting two rooms; they both needed their own space and as long as he was close enough to check on her and intervene if there was trouble he was happy with their current arrangement. He wanted her to feel as normal as possible and since they hadn't shared an apartment in several years he didn't want to impose himself on her anymore than he had to.

"Were you hopin' to catch me naked?" he teased with a grin.

"Yeah, because you know how much I just love your skinny white ass," she said drolly.

Alex laughed, taking no offense at her remark. "Okay, we've got a few options," he said as he walked past her into the dressing area.

Maria dropped down on the sofa that faced the large television in the sitting area and stared at the blank screen while he got dressed. "Dinner first, I'm starving."

"Okay." It was the first interest she'd shown in eating since leaving New York. Justin had warned him about her lack of appetite and she had barely eaten during their trip. "So, whatcha in the mood for?"

"Well, the last time I was here there was this completely tacky little café on the main street that had really good food."

"How old were you the summer you and your folks spent here?"

"Nine." She could clearly remember the arguments between her parents that had started that summer and they had decided to separate when the time came to move on. They had gotten back together after a couple of years, but she blamed all twenty-seven of those months and the pain that had come with the separation on the town she was in now.

Alex sat down on the other end of the sofa so he could pull his boots on and tie up the laces. "So, you're in the mood for my kinda food tonight, huh? Calorie-laden, artery-clogging, cholesterol-ridden food," he clarified when she glanced at him. "If it's a small diner, you know that's what's on the menu."

"Hey, I enjoy junk food on occasion," she muttered, stretching one foot out to kick him in the shin. "I just don't think that people should live on it."

"I don't live on it; I just have a great appreciation for it." He chuckled at her disbelieving stare and shrugged, tugging the cuffs of his cargo pants down over his boots. "So, after dinner, what d'you feel like doin'?"

Maria snorted at his question. _As if this town had anything to offer young people who wanted to get out and have some fun. But, hey, if Alex believed that he could find a place where they could go and she could forget her problems… why not?_ "I'm up for anything, and since you've already been on the phone locating the nightlife, I'm guessing you have a list of places you wanna check out."

Alex smiled. _Maria knew him too well!_ "Okay, so we'll scout the clubs after dinner; there's only about four of them so it shouldn't take that long to eliminate the ones that aren't worth our time. Maybe you'll get lucky and there'll be some fine guys out after dark."

_As if! She'd have better luck finding a hot guy at Disneyland._ "Your optimism, as always, is astounding."

"Hey, it could happen."

"Yeah, anything's possible." She stood up when he moved across the room to collect his wallet and key card. "I think we stand a better chance of an alien encounter though, and I don't even believe in aliens."

Alex chuckled and followed her into her room so she could grab her things. "I can't believe that you just will not accept the possibility."

"I'm not saying that the existence of alien life is impossible; I just don't see why they would bother taking on human form and coming here when there's an entire universe out there to explore."

They left the hotel and walked along Main Street, enjoying the warmth of the early evening. They crossed a street, exchanging pleasantries with the few people they passed on their way to the café.

"The people here are much friendlier than they are back home," Alex commented as they neared their destination.

Before Maria could speak a man barreled past them, nearly knocking them over as he ran across the street amid honking horns and one angry driver who leaned out through his open window to shout at the man he had almost hit.

"What were you saying about friendly people?" she muttered. She forced her gaze away from the jerk who had run into them when she heard a woman speak, apparently feeling it was her duty to apologize for the man's rude behavior. She barely got a good look at the woman's perfect features before she turned and walked away, but a sideways glance at Alex told her he'd had enough time to memorize them. She reached up and placed the tip of one finger under his chin, pushing it up so his mouth wasn't hanging open. "That's not one of your more attractive looks, Alex."

"Did you see her?" he asked, whistling under his breath. "Oh, my God, I think I'm in love!"

Maria chuckled and shook her head. "You do realize that women who look like her rarely appreciate guys like you, right?"

"Never hurts to think about the possibilities." He grinned and reached out to open the door of the café for her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Michael placed four frozen margaritas on the tray and snapped his fingers to get the dingy waitress's attention. "Your order's up," he growled. "Take it and go."

Cindy giggled and grabbed the tray, quickly disappearing into the crowd. Like everyone else who worked at the club, she ignored his bad moods, but in her case he was pretty sure it was because she was as clueless as she looked. He shook his head and wiped the counter down before taking the next order from one of the other waitresses.

He scanned the crowd as he uncapped half a dozen bottles of imported beer, looking to see if Isabel had decided to show after their argument. She spent most nights hanging out with him while he worked, reluctant to go home to her empty apartment. Her boyfriend Jesse had a tendency to work long hours and Michael was convinced that the man had some serious issues. _What kind of man chose to work late nearly every night when he had a woman like Isabel waiting at home for him?_

On the rare occasion, Jesse would show up at the club when he finally decided to call it a night and he never seemed to catch on to the fact that the reason Isabel was at the club in the first place was because she was lonely. _He was an idiot,_ Michael thought as he turned his attention back to the orders being shouted at him from two waitresses at the same time.

More people poured in as the hours passed and by eleven o'clock the place was packed. The music was pounding, the dance floor was a sea of gyrating bodies, and the alcohol and conversation were flowing freely.

"Hey, man, I ordered a beer and I'm still waitin'!"

He took a deep breath as he turned around to face the kid on the other side of the counter. "And you're gonna keep waitin' for another four years," he snarled. "I've already told you twice to get the hell away from the bar. Now, you can just get lost." His right hand shot up as he motioned for one of the bouncers to remove the teenager.

"C'mon, man, that's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, you little punk." He shook his head and was reaching for a fresh bag of nuts from under the counter when his gaze locked on the couple who had just walked in the door. Or, more precisely, on the short blond woman crossing the room; he wasn't the slightest bit interested in the man with her.

"Hey, Guerin, I'm waitin' on my order!" Brandi yelled, trying to get his attention.

Michael snapped his fingers to get the other bartender's attention, not even bothering to see if Joe had moved to handle Brandi's order. He slowly walked along the counter, and his eyes followed the woman's every movement as she eased through the crowd and settled on one of the stools at the end of the bar with her companion.

"Take your order?" he barked.

Deep green eyes clashed with dark brown when Maria lifted her head to look at the bartender. _Oh. My. God!_ Her gaze slowly slid down over his body before making a return trip and finally settling on his eyes once more. "What would you recommend?"

"_Sex on the Beach_," he said with a smirk.

Maria chuckled at his forward response and shook her head. "You don't have a beach around here and I don't know you that well." _Not that I'd mind getting to know you better,_ she thought, her gaze scanning over him once more. "Maybe we could just start with a…" She searched her memory for an appropriately-named drink. "How about a… _French Kiss_?"

Beside her, Alex just shook his head and grinned as she openly flirted with the bartender. It was good for her to relax and just enjoy herself, forget about everything going on for a little while. He excused himself so he could run to the restroom even though he had his doubts that Maria was listening to him at all.

Michael toyed with the idea of leaning over the counter that separated them and kissing her pouty lips but if he was wrong in his assessment of her he'd be out of a job and he couldn't afford that. He let his eyes wander down to the cleavage visible above the red halter top she was wearing; enough to be tantalizing, but not so much that it was slutty. As his dark gaze lifted back up to meet hers again he saw her eyes darken to a deep shade of emerald and he followed his instincts without thinking it through any further.

Maria saw him leaning in closer but instead of backing away she shifted to accommodate his awkward position. She felt one of his big hands come up to cradle her face, holding her still as his lips brushed against hers, kissing her lightly. When his tongue teased her lips, requesting entrance, she granted it without a single thought of refusing him. _Damn, he could kiss!_

"Michael Guerin!"

He reluctantly broke the kiss and looked at the owner of the scolding voice. He glared at Isabel as she came up behind the woman he had been quite contentedly kissing just seconds ago, frowning at her expression of annoyance. "Damn it, Isabel!" he exploded, irritated at the interruption.

"Are you trying to get fired?"

He scowled at her as he mixed the ingredients for the requested drink. "Feelin' bitchy tonight?"

Maria looked at him when he placed a napkin on the counter and set the glass on top of it before pointing at the tall blond that settled on the stool on the other side of the one Alex had been occupying. "Ignore her." She glanced at the woman he had indicated and did a double take when she recognized her from their brief encounter earlier that afternoon. The pieces suddenly fell into place as she looked back at the man who she had allowed to kiss her just moments before. "You're the guy that practically ran us over today!" she accused. "On Main Street, in front of the café."

Alex returned just in time to hear Maria's accusation and he glanced at the bartender's retreating back as he settled on his stool once more. "What's goin' on?" he asked.

He followed Maria's hand when she motioned between the bartender and something on his other side. He shifted and glanced to his left, freezing when he recognized the woman from their brief meeting earlier. "You took off before I had the opportunity to ask for your name," he said as a slow grin lifted the corners of his mouth. "Alex Whitman," he introduced himself and held his right hand out in her direction.

Isabel studied him for several long seconds, reaching out to shake his hand only after she identified the sincerity in his gray eyes. "Isabel Evans." She felt something she had never felt before when his hand closed around hers, something she couldn't identify, but didn't necessarily want to end.

Maria pulled her gaze away from Alex and his new friend to look at the bartender again. He had gone back to serving drinks, snarling at the waitresses and customers alike as he took orders and mixed drinks. Isabel left a little after midnight, insisting that she had to be on her way home despite Alex's attempts to cajole her into staying.

"Lose your date already?" she asked when he turned to look at her.

"She'll be back," he said, his tone certain. "Maybe not tonight or tomorrow night, but she'll be back."

"I guess that means this is the club we'll be hanging at?"

"Well, I would've thought you'd be a little happier about that considering you were playin' tonsil hockey with the bartender less than five minutes after you laid eyes on him."

Her gaze shifted back to the man in question after rolling her eyes at Alex. "I'm not even gonna dignify that with a response."

"Are you denyin' it?"

"No. I just don't see why you think you need to bring it up."

Alex's eyebrows lifted in surprise at her disgruntled tone and a moment later he grinned. "You're pissed cuz he hasn't come back over here," he guessed.

Maria ignored him and went back to watching the bartender, her fingers brushing against her lips as she went over every moment of the kiss again. She was disappointed when closing time rolled around without another word from him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael kicked the door shut behind him as he entered the dark trailer, irritated by the unexpected turn of events. He had met someone who interested him on a level that no other woman had ever reached and he had let her get away without even getting her name. _Why? Why hadn't he gone back over to her?_

He went into the kitchen and flipped the light switch, looking around the interior of the trailer in disgust. He had inherited the dump when his foster father Hank had done the world a big favor and died, leaving nothing behind but debt and the trailer that he had somehow managed to pay off at some point in his worthless life.

He threw a sandwich together and grabbed a cold Snapple out of the refrigerator, twisting the top off and tossing it in the trash on his way into the small living room. He wondered if Isabel had gotten the blonde's name while she had been talking to the geek sitting at the bar next to her. He kicked back in the recliner and sat the bottle down on the coffee table before picking up the remote and turning the television on.

_Why do I bother?_ he wondered after scanning through the stations several times over in an effort to find something to watch. The only thing on at this time of the morning was infomercials and he wasn't interested in any of them.

Before long his focus moved from the television screen and shifted back to the little blond in the bar. Kissing her had been something he hadn't actually intended to do; it had been brazen even by his own standards. His job at the bar was the only one he had managed to hold for more than a few months and he had no intention of losing it. _How many job opportunities were there that let you wear what you wanted, say what you wanted, and act how you wanted? Well, within reason._ He wasn't the type of man who had ever conformed to anyone's standards and this job didn't ask him to, so he didn't want to jeopardize it, but he had put it at risk just to kiss some woman he probably wouldn't see again.

It was the first time any woman had ever captured his attention so thoroughly. There was something different about her, something that he had no point of reference for. He didn't understand it and he wasn't sure he wanted to; the only thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to see her again… wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to do more than kiss her and after the way she had kissed him back he was pretty sure she would've been interested in more too.

_Not that it mattered now,_ he thought. Like a fool he had let the opportunity pass by and he had probably missed his chance with her. She and her friend had probably only been passing through and if they weren't already gone, they'd most likely be gone by morning; he didn't know all of the locals, but he'd know if she were one of them. She didn't strike him as the type of woman who belonged in a town like Roswell. _No, she was definitely a woman who deserved better than anything Roswell had to offer._

He looked around the trailer and shook his head; he kept it straightened up but it had long ago moved past any possibility of being considered nice. He never brought anyone to the trailer, ashamed of everything that it represented, and the only person who ever dared to come by was Isabel. He had done everything he could think of to make her stay away too, but she was just as stubborn as he was and she refused to comply with his wishes.

He slouched further down in his chair and kicked his shoes off, his blank gaze staring at the television screen as he made a mental note to talk to Isabel the next morning. He glanced at the clock on the VCR. _Well,_ he amended silently, _what normal people considered to be morning._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The ringing telephone pulled Maria from a very erotic dream starring the bartender from several nights before. They hadn't gone back because Alex had been in the process of getting to know Isabel better. She cursed a blue streak as she snatched the handset up, pissed off at the disturbance. She barely registered the fact that the sun was shining brightly as she snarled a less than cordial greeting into the mouthpiece.

"Must've been some dream," Alex teased.

"I wouldn't know since your ill-timed call ruined it." She gritted her teeth together when he just laughed. "What d'you want, Alex?"

"A Denver omelet and a short stack of pancakes. What about you?"

_Naked bartender,_ she thought and quickly clamped her free hand over her mouth before she said it aloud. He chuckled and Maria just knew he had figured out what she was thinking.

"I doubt the bartender's on the menu, but you can always ask." Amusement colored his voice and she thought very seriously about just hanging up on him. "Why don't you go take a cold shower and get dressed so we can go get somethin' to eat?"

She did hang up on him then, and rolled back over, wishing she could go back to sleep, but knowing it wasn't going to happen. She ignored the knock on the connecting door a few minutes later, surprised that he had waited that long.

She grumbled under her breath as she hauled herself up out of bed and stomped across the room. "I'm up!" she shouted as she passed the door on the way to the bathroom.

On the other side of the door Alex just chuckled and finished getting ready. He knew she was gonna make him pay for waking her up and interrupting what was obviously a pretty hot dream. He also knew that she'd calm down once he knew that Isabel was going to ask Michael to show Maria around Roswell. He glanced at his watch and wondered how long she was going to make him wait before she decided she was ready to go to breakfast.

After what had to be the longest shower in the history of the world she opened the connecting door and announced that she was ready.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael wiped the counter down as he glanced around the club, hoping to catch sight of the blond from a few nights ago. He had talked to Isabel, but she hadn't been much help; the only thing she could tell him about was the guy who had been in with the blond. He chuckled under his breath and shook his head as he thought about her enthusiastic account of dinner with the scruffy photojournalist the night before.

He had no idea what the man had said to her but he had obviously had the right words to make her see that Jesse wasn't the man for her. She had told him earlier that day when they had met for lunch that she was thinking about ending her relationship with the lawyer. He fully supported that choice because he didn't think it was going anywhere anyway and she wasn't happy with the guy… hadn't been for a long time.

She had promised to try to get her new friend and the blond to come to the club but he had yet to see any of them appear. He had made sure the three stools at the end of the counter stayed open on the off chance that they made it in; he wasn't gonna miss another opportunity with his mystery woman.

It was Saturday night and as the hours wore on the club filled to capacity but the three stools remained unoccupied. His mood had taken a serious nosedive and the waitresses had eventually stopped trying to rush him with their orders. He forced himself to focus on work and before long he was operating on autopilot.

As a rule he flirted with the women who came up to the bar but the last few nights he had been so busy looking for _her_ that he hadn't paid any attention to them. He wondered about his preoccupation with her as he motioned to Joe, letting him know he was taking a break.

He grabbed a small jar of chilled maraschino cherries and removed the top so he could shake a liberal amount of Tabasco sauce into the jar. When he was satisfied that it was enough he put the hot sauce aside and screwed the cap back on the cherry jar, shaking it up to mix the flavors. He grabbed one of the tiny plastic swords they used to spear the fruit in the tropical drinks as he moved out from behind the bar, clamping it between his teeth as he made his way through the people milling about the club.

When he returned after his break he grabbed a black marker and scrawled his initials on the lid before putting his snack away and taking a couple of orders.

"Hey, Guerin!"

He glanced up when Joe approached him, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Your admirer's back."

Michael leaned around the other man and he felt his heartbeat quicken when he caught sight of the woman who had recently taken center-stage in some pretty hot dreams. _Okay, Guerin, don't screw it up this time! _"What'd she order?" he asked, noticing that there wasn't a drink in front of her.

"Nada." Joe shrugged. "Said she didn't want anything; I got the impression she was waitin' on you." He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. "Go on, I've got this," he muttered, taking over the orders Michael had just gotten from one of the waitresses.

_She hadn't ordered yet. Hmmm, what should he make?_ He grinned when the perfect drink came to mind and he quickly collected the ingredients and mixed it.

She was leaning on the bar but her back was to him as she watched the people around her and he stayed out of sight as he came up behind her. He set the glass on a cocktail napkin and moved it back so she wouldn't knock it over before he braced his forearms on the edge of the counter.

"You look like a woman who enjoys _Foreplay_," he growled and laughed when she whirled around.

Maria couldn't stop the broad smile that emerged when she came face to face with the bartender again. She glanced at the drink he had placed on the counter in front of her and reached for it before her gaze shifted back up to meet his. "It has its place," she teased, taking a drink from the glass. "Mmmm, that's good."

He chuckled and leaned in closer. "If you think that's good, it only gets better," he promised huskily.

"Oh, good, you're back from your break," Isabel said as she joined them with Alex. "You don't have any plans for tomorrow, do you, Michael?"

"I don't know yet." His gaze never left the woman he had been flirting with. "Do I have plans for tomorrow?"

Isabel rolled her eyes. _She could be here all night at this rate!_ "Okay, Michael, meet Maria… she needs a guide to show her around."

Michael finally broke eye contact and glanced at Isabel, shooing her away like a pesky insect. "We can handle makin' plans without you."

"If you would just listen for a minute – "

"Isabel, I've got this." He made a sharp _go away_ motion with his head and shifted his gaze back to Maria. "I've gotta get back to my customers; you gonna hang for a while?"

"That depends," she said with a smile. "You gonna walk me back to the hotel when your shift's over?"

"Hell yeah."

"Then I'll be here." She watched him as he went back to work, taking orders and mixing drinks while making conversation with the customers.

"Hey," Alex said as he leaned down next to Maria. "Are you gonna be all right by yourself?"

"I'm fine, Alex," she assured him. "Your optimism's paying off for both of us, so go on and have a good time. I'll call you when I get in." She glanced at the blond on his other side. "Unless you think you're gonna be occupied, and in that case, I'll see you at breakfast."

He laughed out loud. "Now who's bein' optimistic?" He dropped a kiss on her head as he straightened up once more. "Call me when you get in so I know you got back safely." He shook his head when she started to speak. "And don't give me any crap about your bartender friend because we both know you might flirt outrageously, but you're not gonna sleep with him tonight."

Maria rolled her eyes at him when he and Isabel made their way out to the dance floor and were immediately swallowed up by the crowd. She loved Alex dearly but sometimes he was such a know-it-all. _He was right, of course; the bartender, Michael, was hot and she definitely wanted to get to know him in every possible way, but she didn't know him well enough to sleep with him… yet._ Her gaze zeroed in on him once more, sliding over him appreciatively. _Oh, but she was going to, and soon._


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

The town was nearly silent after two o'clock in the morning and as they walked along Main Street on their way to the hotel Michael and Maria talked in hushed tones. It was still warm but not uncomfortably so and they were enjoying the slow, unhurried pace they had settled into.

"So, what's your interest in Roswell?" he asked, glancing up when a car drove by.

Maria sighed as she was reminded of the real reason behind her visit. "I'm a reporter for a paper back in New York and I've been thinking about writing a book for a while now and… well, the opportunity recently presented itself, so here I am."

He heard the undertone of sadness in her voice mixed with a trace of anger and he wondered what had caused it. _Maybe he'd ask her about it once they got to know each other a little better._ "Uh-huh, and you brought your own photographer along?"

"Alex does his own stories; he's a photojournalist. He's my best friend and we spend a lot of time together off the clock so when he found out I was coming out here he invited himself along." She shook her head. "I tried to tell him this trip wasn't gonna be all that exciting, but he's an optimist…" She smiled. "And he's proven me wrong again."

"You guys are gonna be here for a while?"

"A little over a month… that should give me plenty of time to research and get my facts straight." She felt horrible for lying to him because she honestly had no intention of writing the book, but she couldn't tell him the truth either. Alex had used their cover story when Isabel had asked him why they were there and how long they were going to be around and that had led to her offering to ask Michael to show her around.

He nodded. "So, you're here to prove the existence of aliens," he mused.

"What? No! If anything I intend to prove that it's all a bunch of bull."

Michael was surprised and intrigued by her answer. "Really? You're gonna prove it's all just a big myth?"

Maria stopped walking when she heard the amusement in his voice and she turned to look at him. "You don't actually believe in the existence of aliens, do you?" she groaned. "God, leave it to me to find a completely hot guy who buys into all that nonsense."

"Completely hot, huh?" He grinned as they started walking again.

"Like you don't know."

"Maybe I'm so hot because I'm not human."

She laughed at his outrageous response. "Yeah, I'm sure it can be attributed to alien genetics."

"_Good_ alien genetics," he stated proudly.

She rolled her eyes at the absurdity of his teasing words. She nodded at the building they were nearing as they walked across an intersection.

"This where you're stayin'?" He reached out to open the door when she gave an affirmative answer, walking inside with her and waiting next to the elevator when she pressed the button for the second floor. He waited until they were standing at the door to her room and she was leaning against the door, key card in hand. "What time should I pick you up in the mornin'?" he asked, bracing one hand on the doorframe above her head and leaning in closer to her.

"You tell me; you're the one who works until two in the morning."

"How's ten work? We'll have breakfast first and then we can get started on your tour of Roswell and its history." His dark eyes traced over her features as he waited for her answer and a slow smile lifted one corner of his mouth when her right hand settled along his jaw, tracing over his bottom lip with her thumb.

Maria initiated the heated kiss this time and her hands slid around his neck to tangle in his hair, surprised at how soft it was. She felt his big hands settle on her hips, his fingers flexing before pulling her up against his body.

Michael let her control the kiss and set the pace, knowing instinctively that they weren't going any farther this time. He knew they would end up in bed together eventually, that much was inevitable; there was too much heat between them to be denied for very long. He followed her lead when she pulled back and he forced himself to remain still while he brought his breathing under control.

"Ten o'clock will be perfect," Maria whispered, letting her hands slide down over his chest as she took a step back and reached for her key card. "I'll see you in the morning."

He groaned when she slipped into her room and shut the door. _God, it was gonna be a long night!_ he thought, readjusting himself as he walked back to the elevator.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria leaned back in her chair at breakfast the next morning, glaring at Alex when he expressed interest at checking out the site of the infamous 1947 Roswell crash. It was bad enough that he and Isabel had decided to join them for breakfast, but now he was insisting that they could all go exploring together.

"Alex, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, her tone making it clear that it wasn't really a request.

Isabel chuckled when they walked a short distance away. "Looks like she doesn't wanna share you," she said, watching their body language as they talked.

"Who could blame her?" Michael asked, grinning as he slouched down a little in his seat. "Although I'm not really interested in sharin' either, so maybe you can direct his attention in another direction." He reached for his coffee mug, taking a sip of the hot liquid before nodding at the two friends. "You get the feelin' there's somethin' goin' on with them?"

"Like maybe they're not really here researching a book?" Isabel glanced at them, watching them for several minutes before she shrugged. "Yeah, there's definitely more to the story than what they've told us, but everyone's entitled to their own secrets."

Michael snorted at that. "How'd Jesse take it when you gave him his walkin' papers?"

"Who says I did?"

"The way you were kissin' your photographer friend when Maria and I ran into you at the hotel this mornin'."

"You know his name, Michael." Isabel rolled her eyes when he just sat there, silently assessing her. "Fine, if you must know, Jesse wasn't pleased with my decision to end things, but he left without making a scene. He's coming by this afternoon to get his things."

"This afternoon while you're out," he clarified.

"Yes. Is there some sort of celebration ritual you'd like to perform in honor of my breaking up with Jesse?"

"I'll leave that to you." He grinned. "Hey, I'm not gonna apologize because I'm glad you finally kicked his ass to the curb; I've never liked him and I've never made any secret of it. However, I do think you should celebrate finally getting that leech out of your life." He shook his head when she glared at him. "Tell me you don't think he asked you out as a way of getting in good with your dad."

"I went into it with my eyes wide open, Michael; I know Jesse thought getting involved with me would get him in close with my dad and help him move up in the firm. And I let it drag on for a lot longer than I should've let it go on." She smiled, and it was the first genuine smile she had felt like giving in too long. "Now, I just wanna enjoy being with someone who seems to honestly want to be with _me_."

"So, go be with him and let me get Maria outta here. I've only got so many hours before I've gotta be at work and I'm not interested in spendin' 'em with him." His dark gaze trailed over Maria, taking in the khaki shorts and red tank top.

"I think you'd like Alex if you'd just give him a chance."

"I'm sure he's wonderful, but…" He shook his head and grinned.

"No need to go any further; I've seen the way you two are circling each other."

Michael's grin just got bigger.

"What're you over here grinning about?" Maria asked as she and Alex joined them again.

"Just thinkin' about you," he answered honestly.

Maria smiled in response to his admission. "Alex has decided that he has no interest in visiting the crash site, so we can leave whenever you're ready."

Isabel chuckled when he shot to his feet and grabbed her keys. She had already agreed to let him use her vehicle since their destination was quite a ways out in the desert and his motorcycle wasn't going to provide any relief against the heat.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria watched the scenery as it flew by and after several miles she turned sideways in the passengers' seat so that her back was against the door and she lifted her legs up, bending them at the knees and placing her bare feet on the seat. "Are you sure we're going to the crash site? Because we left Roswell behind miles back."

"You do know that the crash didn't actually happen _in_ Roswell, right?"

"That's ridiculous, it's the _Roswell_ crash… it's what made the town so famous."

"It also happened 80 miles north of Roswell." He chuckled at her when she shook her head in disbelief. "Seriously. Don't you know anything about the history of the mythology surrounding the crash?"

"No. I told you, I don't believe in any of this nonsense."

"So, what do you think it was, if it wasn't a UFO?"

Maria rolled her eyes when she heard the amusement underlying his words. "The term UFO literally means unidentified flying object; it doesn't mean spaceship. It could've been any of a million different things and because they couldn't identify it suddenly everyone believes that little green men from outer space crash landed on Planet Earth."

"I think they were grey actually." Michael smiled smugly, happily correcting her on the subject.

_What? Grey?_ She thought about that for a minute. "Grey… why would they be grey?"

"Why would they be green?" he countered.

"You do realize that this is a completely ridiculous conversation, right?"

Michael chuckled and shot a quick glance at her. "You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?"

"No, I hardly ever sleep much anymore," she admitted quietly. "How far are we from the site?"

"Half an hour, give or take a few minutes."

"How long have you been bartending?"

Michael recognized the diversion tactic for what it was but he let it go unchallenged. "I've been workin' at The Underground for a little over three years now." He told her about some of his experiences at the bar and time passed quickly – too quickly in his opinion.

Maria turned in a circle as she looked at the miles and miles of sandy desert surrounding them on all sides. "This is the crash site?" She wasn't impressed. There was little more than a small marker stating that the spot they were looking at was the site where aliens had crash landed in 1947. "Seriously? This is what we drove 80 miles to see? How does this prove the existence of aliens?"

He couldn't help the laughter that escaped at her insulted tone. "I drove 80 miles just to spend some time with you," he corrected. "You came out to see the crash site. And here it is, in all its glory."

"But, people believe all that crap about aliens crash landing on Earth because of a big pile of sand? What the hell is that all about?"

"You sound awful pissed about this, Maria." He cocked his head to one side as he watched her pace around, working herself up into one hell of an angry mood.

"People buy this crap, do you understand that? They spend their lives following one UFO sighting after another, certain that this is gonna be the one that proves their beliefs. They chase crop circles and sightings, uprooting their families and taking their stability away from them just to…" Her rant trailed off into nothing when Michael suddenly appeared in front of her and he reached out to place his hands on her shoulders, stilling her movements.

"Hey, talk to me, Maria."

"Do you have any idea how easily people can become so caught up in this crap?" Her green eyes shimmered in the sunlight as tears of anger and frustration threatened to fall.

"I've seen it happen." _This wasn't just some book she was researching, she was looking for answers… but, what was the question?_

"And why? There's nothing concrete, no solid evidence to prove that aliens exist, but it doesn't stop people from chasing after it and destroying their ch… their lives. They ruin everything that should matter to them all for something that they don't have any chance of proving exists because it doesn't! It's all an elaborate lie!"

She looked like she was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. "Who was it?" he asked gently, tugging her into his arms and holding her against his body.

Maria tried to swallow the lump in her throat, conscious that she had revealed too much now to go back and try to recall her words. "My parents. My entire life we moved all over the place, we never stayed anywhere for very long. I never finished out a school year in the same school I started in." She rested the side of her head against his chest. "I hated it. My dad passed away last year when his heart finally gave out; the doctors kept telling them that he needed to stop traveling so much, but he wouldn't stop. He died while they were chasing a sighting."

Her anger was palpable and he really couldn't fault her for feeling this way. "What about your mom? Does she still chase the sightings?"

"She did." Several tears escaped without her permission when she shook her head. "I'm sure she would be but she passed away a few weeks ago."

"And you're trying to prove that they wasted their lives tryin' to prove the existence of somethin' you don't believe in?"

"No, although I can see why it looks like that. I mean, I want to prove that it's all just a bunch of bull, but not to retaliate against them." She sighed. "I don't know… maybe that is part of it."

"Can't you accept that it was their faith in the existence of somethin' bigger that kept them searchin' for proof of life outside of our little corner of the universe?" He pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling back to look down at her. "Your parents couldn't prove that aliens exist and you're not gonna be able to prove that they don't exist. It's somethin' you either believe or you don't; you can write a book about it, but in the end it's all just speculation no matter which side you're on."


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

_It's all just speculation._ Maria resumed her former position as they drove back to Roswell, sitting in the seat with her back against the door, her legs bent at the knees, and her bare feet on the seat. "What do you believe?" she asked after nearly fifteen miles of silence.

"About what?"

"The whole alien conspiracy." She tilted her head to one side and studied him, noticing that he reached up to rub his jaw when it clenched tightly. "What's your opinion?"

"Why do you assume I have an opinion one way or the other?"

"You said before that you've been here your whole life, right? Born and raised right here in Roswell, New Mexico, so you must have developed an opinion."

"I never said I was _born_ here," he corrected with a smirk. "As for my opinion, I'm open to the possibilities – "

Maria shook her head and nudged his right leg with her foot. "Open to the possibilities, my ass; you believe it," she accused, laughing.

"I told you, I look like this because of good alien genetics." He grinned and shook his head. "You think if I was a normal human male I'd be this hot?"

"Okay, if you're an alien," Maria said, deciding to play along, "how does that affect your sexual performance? Obviously, it's affected your self-image since you have such a high opinion of yourself."

"Hey, you said yourself that I'm hot; I'm only agreein' with you." He glanced at her. "Most women like it when the guy doesn't disagree."

"I'm not most women, and you didn't answer the question." She paused long enough to draw his curious gaze. "Hmm… you're not bragging it up, so either you're not as good as you'd like me to think you are or you're one of those purely asexual beings who don't need a partner." She grinned when he started turning red. "Oh, you're not one of those sad little aliens they show on TV, are you? The kind who have no visible sexual organs and you can't really tell if they're male or female?"

Michael jumped when her foot slid into dangerous and revealing territory and he had to quickly regain control of the vehicle when he jerked the steering wheel too hard. "Damn it, Maria!"

"So, definitely _not_ that kind of alien." Her tone was unrepentant and teasing as she shifted her foot back into neutral territory. "Well, for an alien, parts of you certainly feel very… human."

He had to change the subject now or he was gonna completely embarrass himself. It had been a while since he'd hooked up with anyone and his body was reacting to her with a vengeance. They were forty-five miles from Roswell and if he didn't get control of the situation soon he was gonna do something he hadn't done since he was fifteen years old. The humiliation of that night was not something that had been easily forgotten and Christy Summers had never given him another opportunity to get into her panties. He shifted uncomfortably in the seat and tugged on his collar before reaching out to turn the air conditioner on as cold as it would go.

Maria took pity on him when she realized he was on the verge of permanently mangling the steering wheel he was gripping with a white-knuckled fist. "Tell me about the museums in town."

"Not much to tell, really. We've got one that'll give you all the facts such as they are and another one that's set up with different scenes from supposed alien encounters. They're open on Sundays for a few hours so we can go check 'em out tomorrow if you want."

"Are you sure you'll be up for that?" She laughed when his head snapped to the side and he glared at her. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like _that_. I just meant that you worked until after two this morning, then you walked me to the hotel, met me for breakfast early this morning, and by the time we get back it won't be much longer before you'll have to be at work again."

"No, I'm fine." He shrugged one shoulder. "I don't sleep much anyway."

Maria smiled as she slouched down just a little and braced her feet against his thigh. "Is that an alien thing or are you just an insomniac?"

"That's a childhood thing," he answered, surprising himself with his honesty. "My foster father, Hank, he wasn't one of the nicest guys around so most nights I didn't sleep much because I didn't want him comin' after me when I couldn't at least try to defend myself."

"He hurt you?"

"He was an asshole and he took a lot of pleasure in knockin' me around at every possible opportunity. I suppose I owe him in part for bein' such a good bartender though."

"Why?"

"Hell, I could mix drinks before I could read."

Maria's heart clenched painfully at his words. _What a terrible childhood he had been forced to endure!_ "We can talk about something else if you'd rather," she offered.

Michael shrugged. "Hell, I survived it; I don't have great memories of my childhood, unless you count the times I spent over at Isabel's house." He chuckled. "I used to sneak over there and she'd let me climb in through her bedroom window and I'd sleep in her brother's room. She spent most of those nights sitting at the end of Max's bed watchin' over me, makin' sure I was safe."

"That explains why the two of you are so close."

He just smiled and exited off of the highway.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Your girl's here."

Michael glanced over his shoulder when Joe's words reached his ears and he grinned when he saw Maria sitting on the stool at the end of the bar. She had been unusually quiet when he had dropped her off at the hotel after their trip to the site of the crash and he hadn't known if she would show up for his shift or not. He finished Cindy's order and sent her on her way before making his way to the opposite end of the bar.

Maria smiled when he sauntered up to the counter and braced his hands on his side of the polished surface. "What've you got tonight?"

"A terminal case of _Blue Balls_ unless you're gonna take pity on me and put me outta my misery."

She laughed and watched him mix the drink. "That's really a drink, huh?"

"Hell, it's more than just a drink, babe," he growled as he placed the drink in front of her. He leaned over the bar and kissed her hard and fast. "I'll be back as soon as it slows down."

Maria quickly realized there was no such thing as a _slow down_ on a Saturday night at the club. He was constantly in motion, his movements sure and capable, and she paid no attention to the time as she watched his every move.

"Hey, Maria!" Alex was out of breath as he dropped down on the stool next to her. He motioned to the man working with Michael, ordering a beer when the man nodded in question. "Look, I'm gonna have company tonight, so I was wonderin' if you're plannin' on havin' the bartender walk you back to the hotel after closin'?"

"Yes, he said he'd walk me home, Dad." She rolled her eyes at his questions and reached up to tug his leather cap down over his eyes. "Why are you wearing that goofy hat?"

Alex leaned back and straightened the cap, positioning it so that the left side was slightly lower than the right. "This is not a goofy hat, Maria; I'll have you know this is a very popular cap. Looks a lot like the newsboy cap but it's – "

"I don't wanna hear about it." She waved him off when Joe placed a chilled bottle on the counter in front of him.

"It adds to my rakish charm." His gray eyes gleamed playfully as he winked at her.

"Yeah, it adds to something, alright."

"Admit it, you just mock me because you know I'm too much man for you to handle."

Maria choked on the drink she had just swallowed and she used the napkin he shoved into her hand to wipe her mouth. She glared at him as she struggled to catch her breath and she shook her head when he asked if she wanted him to get her a bottle of water.

"What'd you do to her?" The belligerent question was loud and unexpected, causing Alex to jump backwards and nearly fall off of the stool. The only thing that actually stopped his descent was the large hand that fisted in the front of his shirt and yanked him back towards the counter.

Maria shook her head, still unable to do anything but croak in a pathetically raspy voice, as she reached out to cover Michael's hand. "Choked on my drink," she whispered raggedly, her green eyes shooting daggers at Alex.

Michael released his grip on the other man's shirt and turned to look at Maria. His hands came up to frame her face, studying her watery eyes as he came to his own conclusions about whether she was okay or not. He didn't know what it was, but something about her had captivated him; they had only known each other for a few days and they had yet to take it to the next level, but he was already having trouble imagining his life without her in it. "You're sure you're okay?" he asked, his growling voice low and concerned.

She nodded, barely controlling the ridiculous urge to giggle like a schoolgirl when he glared at Alex again and stalked off to finish the order he had been in the middle of filling.

"Looks like there's nothin' to worry about as long as he's around," Alex muttered as he tried in vain to straighten the wrinkles out of his shirt. "I'm gonna go find Isabel."

Maria listened to him complain about the wrinkles Michael had put in his shirt, but the words weren't distinguishable as she slowly tuned him out. Her eyes were once again locked on the bartender and as she watched him she wondered what kind of lover he was. _The kind that satisfies,_ her mind whispered.

He bent over and opened a refrigerated case, pulling out a small jar that he uncapped and placed on the counter. She made a face when he shook hot sauce into what looked like a jar of cherries before recapping it and shaking it up. He put the hot sauce away before calling out to Joe and letting him know he was taking a break.

She watched him as he speared a couple of the cherries and stuck the little plastic sword between his teeth, pulling it free and chewing the fruit. "Hot sauce and cherries… that's an interesting combination," she said when he joined her and settled on the stool Alex had vacated.

"It's an alien thing," he said, shrugging.

"Uh-huh, any other alien _things_ I should know about before we go any further?"

Michael chuckled as he glanced at her and held the jar out to her. "Have one."

"Why? Is this some sort of mating ritual from your home planet? I eat one of these and we're bonded for life or something?"

"You've gotta be hands-down, the strangest woman I've ever met."

"You claim to be an alien and _I'm_ the strange one?" She laughed at the absurdity of that statement and accepted the little plastic sword he held out in her direction. She was wary of the flavor she was about to encounter so she only stabbed one of the cherries, holding her breath as she put it in her mouth and started to chew.

"It's almost impossible to taste it if you hold your breath."

_Damn, he was observant!_ She started breathing again, and the two distinctly different flavors clashed at first but after a few moments they blended together. It was an odd taste, and probably an acquired one, but it wasn't quite as disgusting as she had feared it would be.

"It's not bad," she admitted. "Probably not something I'd use to replace chocolate or anything, but, it's not bad."

"Honey, if your relationship with chocolate is anything like Isabel's, then there's only one thing that could possibly replace it."

"Really? There's something in existence that can really replace a woman's addiction to chocolate?"

"Um-hmm… me. Now, see, in Isabel's case that's unfortunate because we could never be that close, but you? There's still time for me to save you from a lifetime of calorie-laden, weight-inducing, acne-producing chocolate." His dark gaze was practically molten as it slid over her.

"Oh, I don't know, Michael… give up chocolate for sex?" Her eyes dropped to his lap before lifting back up to smile at him. "Chocolate's gonna be around forever, and at some point you could… lose power… being so far from your own planet and all."

"No chance of that happenin'." He smirked. "I'm tellin' you, alien genetics are superior. And there's no reason for you to choose between us; me an' chocolate, we're old friends. Sex with me is just a much more fun and entertaining way of exercising and stayin' in shape so that givin' up chocolate never has to become an issue."

"You have a lot of faith in your… equipment." Her expression was teasing as she watched him, waiting for his reaction.

"I've never had reason to doubt it and considering the fact that I've been about as horny as a goddamned teenager since the moment you first walked through these doors… I don't see you needin' to worry about havin' any doubts either. I'm not new to the concept of getting an erection around an attractive woman, but this is the first time I can remember havin' such a difficult time controllin' it."

Maria was shocked by his honesty. "Wow, not many guys would admit that."

"And I keep tellin' you, I'm not most guys." He glanced up when Joe called him and he nodded at the man. "I've gotta get back to work." He was in the process of pushing himself to his feet when she grabbed his collar with both hands and pulled him to her.

Maria's mouth settled over his and she felt his arms wrap around her waist as he held her tight against his muscled body. Her tongue swept over his teeth and brushed against the roof of his mouth before tangling with his. Her hands curled over his broad shoulders, holding onto him when he growled and took control of the kiss. It went on until loud cheering broke out around them and they pulled apart to glance at the patrons in the club who were clapping and whistling.

"They all know you're mine now," he growled in her ear.

Maria shivered when his hot breath brushed against her ear as his rough voice made a verbal claim on her. "And they know you're mine. I can be very territorial, so don't start flirting with any other women."

He grinned at the possessive tone in her voice and nodded as he went back to work. Maria watched him go, enjoying his swaggering walk as he made his way around the bar. She grabbed the jar of cherries he had left on the counter and started eating them, enjoying the feeling of really being alive in longer than she cared to remember.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

The UFO museums were every bit as uninteresting as Michael had made them sound, but they spent several hours the next day walking through them anyway.

"So, are you convinced about the existence of aliens yet?" he asked as they walked along Main Street afterwards.

"No." She smiled as she shook her head. "I'm not gonna change my mind."

He looked down when she took his hand, holding it clasped in her own. They hadn't become lovers the night before as he had expected; she had backed off at the last second. She hadn't invited him into her room when they had gotten back to the hotel and something had stopped him from pushing for more. Instead he had made plans to meet her for breakfast before kissing her once more and going home to another freezing cold shower.

"Where do you live, Michael?"

"Why?"

"You've never invited me back to your place so I was just wondering."

"Oh, well, you don't wanna see where I live. It sucks and…" He trailed off when she turned to face him, the motion putting a stop to their walk. "It's nothin' I'm proud of and it's not a part of my life that I've ever shared with anyone."

"And how many people have you told about Hank?"

He turned his head sharply and she knew that she was treading on dangerous ground.

"What if I told you I wanted to see that part of your life? Would you show it to me?"

"You don't know what you're askin'."

"Well, as long as you don't have a wife and two or three kids hidden away at home I'm just asking you to tell me more about yourself."

"Nope, it's just me."

They resumed walking in silence and Maria's thoughts turned inward. She had intended to wake up this morning knowing what it felt like to make love with the man beside her, but when they had gotten back to the hotel she had realized that she couldn't take that step with such a big secret between them.

She didn't want that secret to prevent them from being together, and after he had shared parts of his painful childhood with her the day before it just didn't feel right to get involved any deeper without him knowing the truth. There was something different about him, something that felt like it could become more, and she didn't want to lose that chance with him.

"Why don't you tell me more about you?" he suggested, interrupting her thoughts.

"What else is there to tell? I'm a reporter, I live in New York, and I'm here researching a book." _There are people who want to kill me… people who killed my mother when they were trying to get to me. People who will kill anyone close to me to prevent me from testifying about what I saw._

"I think there's a lot more to tell and for whatever reason you don't wanna tell me about it. That just seems pretty unfair when you're pushin' me for more information about my life."

"Just say what you've gotta say," Maria snapped, feeling cornered all of the sudden.

_She had more to add,_ he thought as he watched her. Her attitude had turned defensive out of nowhere and that only proved it definitively in his opinion. "I don't know why you're here in Roswell, but it's not to research a book; you're not writin' a book about aliens or anything else. And whatever brought you here is comin' between us – "

Maria jerked her hand free of his and took several steps back. "I'm going back to the hotel."

He stood rooted to the spot when she turned and ran back towards the hotel. He had never in his life bothered to chase after any woman, but without making a conscious decision he found himself doing just that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex was on his way out of the hotel, humming to himself as he jogged to Isabel's car where it was waiting at the curb when he heard several loud _pops_ followed by a woman's scream and then more _pops_. It only took a matter of seconds for him to put the scene together and he shook his head at the woman scolding two young boys as she removed several strands of unused firecrackers from their hands. He ran across the street where he had seen Maria dive to safety behind a parked car and he reached her seconds before Michael and Isabel did.

"What's goin' on?" Michael demanded, concerned when he saw the condition Maria was in. She was curled up as tightly as possible, rocking back and forth as Alex did his best to hold onto her.

"Not safe… found us… not safe… found us…"

"Maria, listen to me," Alex urged insistently, "it wasn't them, okay? It was just a couple of bratty little kids who got their hands on some firecrackers."

Maris shook her head, causing her hair to fly around her face. "No, they found us!"

"Why don't we go back to the hotel – "

"Not safe… they'll kill you too!" She moaned, too lost in her fear to understand what was going on around her.

"Give 'er to me," Michael ordered. "I don't know what the hell's goin' on, but I've got the feelin' that the last thing you wanna do is attract attention." He gathered Maria's huddled form to him and he glanced at the other man. "Whatever it is – and you're gonna tell me – she doesn't feel safe here; get her stuff together. Iz, I need you to give us a ride."

Alex considered the man for several seconds before he nodded. "What hotel – "

Michael shook his head. "Huh-uh, you're not takin' 'er to another hotel." He looked down at the woman in his arms; she was still muttering about it not being safe as tears streaked down her face. "Whatever's goin' on, I can protect her."

Isabel's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Michael?"

"We're takin' 'er to my place. Bring your car around; we don't need anyone speculating about what happened. Drop me off at my place and while I'm getting her settled you can come back and get Alex."

While they went to do as he had instructed Michael shifted Maria to a more comfortable position and he rocked her gently. "You're safe, Maria, you hear me?" He pressed a kiss against her forehead. "I've got you now and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. Anybody who wants to hurt you is gonna have to go through me, and I'm not exactly your everyday, ordinary bartender." He stood with her in his arms when Isabel parked close by and she already had the back door open by the time he got to her.

"Would you rather take her to my place?" Isabel asked as she slid back into the drivers' seat. She knew how self-conscious he was about his living arrangement so she was surprised when he shook his head negatively. "You're sure?"

"Am I sure? No, not really, but somehow I've got a feelin' that honesty's crucial right now and for better or worse, that dump's part of my past and my present."

Isabel chose not to comment on his choice of words, but it was the first time she could ever remember that he hadn't listed it as part of his future as well.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The trailer was just as dingy and unwelcoming as it always was but he didn't notice as he stepped past Isabel into the dark interior. _At least it wasn't trashed the way it had been while Hank was still alive,_ he thought as he carried Maria through the narrow hallway and into the bedroom. The ragged curtains on the window were pulled closed, shutting out what little light was available from outside and leaving the room in total darkness.

He lowered her to her feet, holding her upright as he jerked the covers back before easing her down to sit on the edge of the mattress. Her clothes were dirty where she had made contact with the ground in her attempt to seek safety so he grabbed a tee shirt from the closet and quickly stripped her clothes off before helping her into the tee shirt. His hands and voice were gentle as he urged her to lie down and carefully pulled the covers up over her.

He sat with her until she slipped into a restless sleep and then he went to speak to his guests. He had heard them come back a little while ago and he had done little more than glance up when the other man had stood in the doorway for several minutes, watching them, before going back to the living room. He blinked in an effort to adjust to the light when he stepped out of the darkened bedroom and after a few moments he made his way down the hall.

"All right," he said, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. "I wanna know what the hell's goin' on."

Alex studied the man as he grappled with the consequences of revealing what he knew to these people. Maria had already confided in him that her feelings for Michael went deeper than she had expected after such a short time and it bothered her that she had to keep secrets from him. He was pretty sure that it was also the reason why she hadn't jumped the bartender yet. In his experience it was usually best to go with his gut instinct and it was telling him that they could be trusted.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "We're not here to research a book. You've spent enough time with Maria that I'm sure you've already realized that she's never gonna write a book about Roswell, aliens, UFO's or anything else related to the popular mythology. We're basically hidin' out for a few weeks until it's time for Maria to take the stand and testify against the head of an organized crime syndicate. She was doin' a story on corruption in one of the local precincts and it goes a lot higher up the ladder than even she suspected at first. It got a lot more complicated when she and two others witnessed a murder by one of the syndicate's hired guns."

"Police protection would've been a joke," Michael muttered, moving into the room and dropping down to sit in the recliner.

"Right, no way of knowin' who could be trusted; right after the murder the D.A. brought in help from outside, cops he swears are clean, and the two witnesses were put into protective custody. Maria refused because she didn't know whether they could be trusted or not, but at the D.A.'s insistence she did accept a couple of detectives who acted as bodyguards, her rationalization being that it was safer than being hidden away with cops she didn't know or trust." He shook his head. "They took the first two witnesses out the first week of custody, but there's no proof; both hits went down on the books as _accidents_. Three weeks ago she and her mother were out for dinner and while they were walkin' to the car afterwards a car drove by and someone took shots at them. Cops are callin' it a drive-by shooting, but everyone involved knows it was a hit to take out the last remaining witness against the syndicate. Maria wasn't hit but her mother was; Justin said that when Amy heard the shots she pushed Maria out of the way. She never made it to the hospital and Maria never got the chance to say goodbye. It was too risky to attend the funeral and regardless of how stubborn she is, she's not a fool."

"Who's Justin?" Michael asked, gritting his teeth.

Alex glanced at the other man, not missing the scowl on Michael's face at the mention of Justin's name. "Our editor; he's the one who came up with the plan to get her outta town until it's time for her to take the stand. It's just lucky that I got back from Sierra Leone when I did; I didn't know what was goin' on until I walked in the office last week and he said he was sendin' me out here with her."

"She didn't call you?" Isabel could see the worry in his expression, worry for his friend.

"No, and she didn't want me to come out here with her either. She's scared that somethin' could happen to anyone close to her." He nodded when he saw the look of understanding on the other man's face. "That's why she keeps backin' off with you. She'd kill me if she knew what I'm about to say, but I'm gonna say it anyway; she's fallin' for you hard and fast, so she's conflicted over more than just the obvious where you're concerned."

"The obvious bein' my safety because she's got people after her," Michael murmured to himself.

Alex glanced at Isabel and rolled his eyes. "Look, all I'm sayin' is that she trusts you and right now, she's vulnerable and she's hurtin', and I don't know if she could handle losin' someone else. She's my best friend, Michael; we've seen each other at our best and our worst over the past ten years, and maybe I have no right to tell you this, but she's never felt this strongly about any other guy, so I've got my reservations where you're concerned. You come in like this knight in shining armor, sayin' you can protect her, and maybe you can, I don't know – "

"You think _you_ can protect her?" Michael challenged.

"I have a gun and I know how to use it." Alex shrugged. "I don't like it, but if it came down to usin' it or standin' by and lettin' somethin' happen to her I wouldn't hesitate." He shifted uncomfortably when the other man leaned forward, his intense gaze locking on him, searching.

"You have a gun on you?"

Isabel held a hand up when she heard the edge in Michael's voice. He didn't like guns, had hated them since the first time his foster father had stuck one in his face, threatening him with it before using it to beat him half to death. She could only assume that Alex did have the weapon on his person since he had brought it in case Maria needed protection, but she quickly spoke up before he could answer and set Michael off. "It's in the car, Michael."

"You don't like guns," Alex observed as he glanced between them.

"No."

"Uh-huh, and how do you propose to protect her if they manage to track us down?"

"Don't worry about it. Just know that anyone who tries to hurt her will be put down before they know what hit them." His tone left no room for doubt that he wouldn't allow anything to happen to Maria.

"She shouldn't be alone tonight – "

"Club's closed on Sundays," Michael interrupted, "and even if it wasn't, she wouldn't be alone. Now, go away, both of you." He needed to think and he needed peace and quiet for that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_The evening was warm as Maria exited the restaurant with her mother. The smells and sounds of the city surrounded them as they walked to the car waiting at the curb to take them home. They were debating a new Broadway production that they had seen recently, laughing as they each tried to sway the other's opinion._

_The first few pops sounded like firecrackers and as Maria turned to seek out their location she heard the detectives assigned to watch over her screaming at her to get down. Everything suddenly shifted into slow motion and it seemed to take forever as she turned back to warn her mother._

_Bullets were ricocheting off of the sidewalk and the building behind them and she was conscious of someone crashing into her and driving her to the ground. She fought against the suffocating weight, her thoughts on getting to her mother and pulling her to safety._

_Silence came on the heels of squealing tires and one last volley of gunfire. As she finally fought free of the weight she scrambled up into a crouched position, her eyes frantically scanning the area in search of her mother. Her breath stopped in her chest when her wild gaze fell on the woman lying on the ground. She couldn't process the rapidly spreading pool of blood around her mother's fallen body as she fell to her knees beside her._

_She struggled against the hands pulling her away, but the detectives were stronger and they shoved her into the car and whisked her away from the scene as quickly as possible. Her last glimpse of her mother was the woman's blood-spattered face, her dead eyes open and staring sightlessly at the night sky above. _

_Shock, anger, denial… emotions were battering her from every possible direction and she did everything imaginable to contain the scream trying to escape the confines of her chest._

Michael was rummaging around in the cabinets, looking for something to fix for dinner when he heard the strangled scream coming from his bedroom. He slammed the cabinet door shut and ran back through the hallway, turning into the bedroom and hurrying over to Maria. He crouched down next to the bed and turned the lamp on so he could see what he was doing.

Maria was thrashing around, fighting against the blankets that were becoming more and more knotted with her movements. Sweat and tears mingled together on her face and the tee shirt clung to her body in damp patches.

He freed her from the confines of the blankets and forced his gaze to stay above her neck when he noticed the tee shirt creeping up over her bare hips. Without the covers constricting her movements he had to struggle to get a hold on her, and at one point he nearly fell over when he jerked back to avoid her flailing fists.

Her eyes flew open as his hands locked around her wrists and all of the fight drained out of her when her gaze settled on the man watching her. His dark eyes were concerned as he studied her face, gauging her reaction to the situation.

"My mom's dead," she whispered brokenly and sagged forward over her raised knees. It wasn't as if she didn't already know that her mother was dead, but it was the first time she had really let the realization sink in. She was truly alone now; there was no one left who could claim her as family.

She felt the mattress dip as Michael sat on the bed next to her and he pulled her into his arms as he leaned back against the wall. He was speaking but she couldn't hear him over the sound of her own voice as she cried for the first time since the loss of her mother.

Michael held her as she cried herself out and fell into a fitful sleep. Several times throughout the night she awoke violently and each time he was there to calm her fears and ease her back to sleep as he held her against his warm body.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

It was around three o'clock the next morning when Maria awoke without the sudden jarring sensation she had been experiencing most of the night. She blinked several times to clear her blurry vision and she glanced around the unfamiliar, poorly-lit room as she tried in vain to recall where she was. _It definitely wasn't the hotel,_ she thought.

Her searching gaze settled on the man sleeping beside her and she quickly realized that wherever she was he had brought her there. She carefully crawled over him and it wasn't until her bare feet touched the floor that she noticed what she was wearing. She pulled the black, too-big tee shirt away from her body and wrinkled her nose in distaste when she saw that it had the cover art from one of Metallica's albums splashed across the front. _Okay, so no one was perfect,_ she mused as she wandered through the rooms.

It didn't take long for her to decide that she had to be in his home. There wasn't much that stood out as a declaration of ownership; the pile of CD's stacked haphazardly next to a small stereo under the television set and the single photograph of him standing with Isabel and a dark-haired guy were the only personal items lying around. It was easy to see why he didn't want anyone to see this part of his life, but it wasn't the worst living accommodations she had ever seen. It was rundown and old, but it was clean so he definitely got points for that.

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise when she saw her bags leaning against the couch. _What was going on?_ Her gaze travelled around the room until it came to rest on the telephone sitting on the table beside the recliner. _Alex would know,_ she thought as she sat down and picked the receiver up. She punched in the number for the hotel and as soon as the person at the front desk answered she asked to be connected to Alex's room.

"Hello?"

_Okay, that wasn't Alex._ "Um, Isabel?"

"Maria. Hey, how're you doing?"

"Better," she answered. "Much better."

"Let me get Alex for you."

She could hear the phone changing hands and a few moments later she winced and jerked the phone away from her ear when Alex cleared his throat close to the mouthpiece. She rolled her eyes; she should have known he was going to do that because he always did that when she called and woke him up.

"Maria? You okay?"

He was half asleep but she could hear the concern in his voice. "I'm fine," she assured him. "I was just hoping you could clear a few things up for me."

When they disconnected a short while later Maria slumped back in the chair and chewed on her thumbnail as she considered what Alex had told her. She glanced down at the tee shirt thoughtfully; she had just assumed that Alex had been the one to help her into it. Hell, they had shared a one-bathroom apartment for four years during college so it hadn't taken long for them to get over any hang-ups about seeing each other in various states of undress. It was inevitable and neither of them had been bothered by it; they were best friends and they had never been interested in each other beyond that.

_So, Michael was the one who had helped her and cared for her while she fell apart._ She smiled as she realized that he hadn't run in the opposite direction at the first sign of emotional behavior. She wasn't sure how she felt about Alex revealing the truth about their presence in Roswell, although she understood that he hadn't had much choice in the matter. He had grumbled about Michael practically threatening him, but she knew that if his instincts had been to remain silent he wouldn't have said a word no matter how intimidating Michael's tactics had been.

"Plannin' your escape?"

She sat up and turned to the side when Michael's rough voice broke into her thoughts. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, and despite his bland tone, his dark eyes were wary as he watched her. "What do I need to escape from?" she asked, sensing the underlying challenge in his tone.

Michael's glance was meaningful as he motioned at their surroundings. "It's not exactly the kinda place that makes a good impression." He chuckled humorlessly as he moved into the living room. "Guaranteed to make a lastin' impression, just not a good one."

Maria heard the defensive tone creep into his voice and she watched him as he moved across the room. "Your home isn't the worst one I've ever encountered, Michael, and honestly, I'm more interested in you than I am in your house."

The slightest hint of a smirk twisted his lips at her admission; he appreciated her honesty. There was no way around the reality that where he lived sucked and he was glad that she didn't try to sugarcoat her answer and make things seem nicer than they were.

"So, now that we've got that outta the way, I should thank you for – "

He shook his head. "You wanna go get somethin' to eat?"

"At this time of the morning?"

"I'm usually getting home around this time."

"Oh. Well, what've you got to eat here?"

"No idea. Whatever Isabel stocked the kitchen with last weekend."

Maria crossed the room to pick up the framed photograph that sat on top of the television set, turning to face him with a questioning expression on her face. "Y'know, it's never occurred to me to ask, but, are you and Isabel related?"

"Huh-uh." He took the photograph from her as he shook his head. "The other guy in the picture is her brother, Max. We all grew up together."

"Really?" She stood beside him and tipped her head to one side as she studied the picture; the guy he had indicated as Isabel's brother was tall with dark hair. "There's not much of a resemblance between them; her coloring, her hair, and her attitude are all so similar to yours."

Michael turned the photograph in a couple of different directions, holding it out and looking at it from several angles. "Huh, I never really thought much about that. But, no, I don't have any family; it's just me."

"So, you guys have never…?"

"What?" Michael made a face and shook his head. "No, Isabel's like my sister so she thinks that gives her the right to do things like fill the cabinets and fridge with groceries."

"Which is probably a good thing considering you'd most likely eat out all the time if she didn't." She rolled her eyes as she straightened up and walked past him into the kitchen, conscious of his heated gaze following her every move. "When's the last time you cooked anything for yourself?"

He shrugged. "I had a can of spaghetti a couple days ago. Outta the cabinet, outta the can, and into the pan." He leaned on the counter between the living room and the kitchen as he watched her move things around in the refrigerator.

"That's not real food and it's beyond sad… it's an insult to Italian food. How do you feel about breakfast?"

"I like just about anything and I like it even better if I don't have to cook it."

"Well, I'll be more than happy to put something together if you'll let me take a shower first."

"Oh, yeah, right." He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. "Um, Alex brought your stuff over earlier, so…"

"I saw that." She closed the refrigerator door and turned around to face him. "We can discuss that after I've had a shower."

Michael glanced over his shoulder, watching her as she grabbed some things out of her bags and wincing when she disappeared down the hall and he heard the bathroom door close behind her. She must have taken the self-guided tour when she woke up since she located the bathroom without hesitation.

He wasn't sure how to describe her mood exactly; she didn't seem totally pissed, but she wasn't too happy either. He'd be willing to bet his next paycheck that she wasn't the type of woman who appreciated other people making decisions for her. He was still contemplating her mood when she joined him a while later and he was disappointed when he realized she was fully dressed.

"Look, before we get off on the wrong foot, I can explain why your stuff's here," he started.

"That's not what I wanted to talk about." She shook her head at his relieved expression. "At least, not right now; I was hoping we could talk about what happened earlier and why I reacted the way that I did."

"Alex already explained about you exposin' corruption, bein' a witness to a murder, and losin' your mom, Maria."

"He only explained the parts that were explained to him. He was on assignment overseas when it all went down, so he doesn't know the whole story." She sighed as she paced around the living room. "My mom wasn't supposed to die… not that night and not like that."

"Maria, nobody's _supposed_ to die like that."

"No, you don't understand; we were out in a public place because I was too stubborn to listen when the D.A. insisted that I needed more protection than just two detectives. If I had listened to him – "

"If you had listened to him you might be dead right now," he interrupted, his tone fierce. "From what Alex said it's perfectly understandable why you refused to go into protective custody."

"We shouldn't have been out in public like that." She shook her head. "I knew what could happen, Michael… I knew."

Michael sighed. _Trying to make her see the truth was gonna be tough. She hadn't wanted her mother to die, but unfortunately it had happened anyway._ "You couldn't possibly know what would happen."

Maria shook her head in denial as tears filled her eyes. "I didn't know it would happen that night, no, but I knew they would come after me, and by refusing to go into protective custody, I put her life in danger."

Michael leaned over the counter, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "I assume she knew about the corruption you had exposed and the murder you witnessed? Did she want you to go into protective custody?"

"I shouldn't have taken that risk – "

Michael moved away from the counter and stepped into her path, blocking her way and preventing her from continuing her agitated pacing. "Did she want you to follow the D.A.'s recommendation?"

"No, she agreed with me that it was too dangerous since there was no way to know just how far up the ladder the corruption goes…" She shook her head in denial. "I shouldn't have asked her to go out in public, but I don't like being told what to do and knowing that Marcos was walking around free while I was expected to be taken into custody… I just couldn't do it."

"What'd your mom say about goin' out in public? Was she against it?" He had a feeling her mother had most likely been a lot like her, rebelling against any establishment that had the audacity to try and dictate her life. He could understand that.

"No, but I knew better… I saw them execute a man… people like that are capable of anything, and they had already killed the other two witnesses."

"Okay, goin' out in public wasn't the smartest thing you could've done, but you were makin' a statement, refusin' to be intimidated, and I would've done the exact same damn thing, Maria. I'm not sayin' it would've turned out any better, but I don't like bein' told what to do either."

"I got her killed."

Michael tried one last time to get his point across. "Maria, had you gone into hiding, Marcos would've just used your mother against you. Hell, he could've used Alex or anyone else that you cared about. One way or the other, your choice of options was limited."

He couldn't stand seeing the pain in her eyes so he pulled her up against his body and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't bother offering empty platitudes that wouldn't make her feel any better anyway; he just held her and let her take comfort and solace from his embrace.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex was happy to see his best friend in a much better frame of mind when she and Michael showed up at Isabel's house that evening for dinner. He hadn't known what to expect since he had revealed their true reason for visiting Roswell without consulting her first, but as soon as she hugged him he knew everything was okay.

"You're staying with her?" Maria questioned, keeping her voice low when Michael went to find Isabel.

"You're one to talk, Goldilocks." He grinned at her and closed the door behind her. "That was you sleepin' in his bed last night, wasn't it?" He laughed when she elbowed him as he draped his left arm around her shoulders. "Seriously though, you're doin' okay now?"

"Yeah. I think what happened yesterday was gonna happen one way or the other; it was just a matter of the right trigger at the right time. I feel a little better now that I've dealt with some of what happened… it's the first time I've really acknowledged my mom's death and Michael was really great about it."

"Yeah, Isabel said she's never seen him act so gentle or protective before," he confided as they walked through the house.

"You never answered my question," Maria said, hoping to get an answer before they joined the others. "Are you staying with her?"

"For all intents and purposes, yes. I'm still keepin' my room at the hotel because it's a small town and people talk. I don't want her to have to put up with that; people can be small-minded and she did just end a nine-month relationship, so…" He shrugged.

"You really do like her, don't you?"

"Girl, you have no idea. I think I've already surpassed plain old like and I'm quickly approaching somethin' a whole lot more meaningful." He glanced down at her when he realized she had effectively turned the conversation away from herself. "What about you, huh? You plannin' to stay with Michael?"

"What would you think if I said yes?"

"I'd say I think you're safe with him. I watched him while he was takin' care of you and I think anyone who makes the mistake of comin' after you is gonna seriously regret the day they were born. The man has some sort of aversion to guns, but when he said he'd put anyone down who came after you… I believed him."

"Hey, you guys gonna stand out there and yak all day, or are you gonna get in here so we can eat?"

"Your knight speaks," Alex muttered with a grin, "and he's so eloquent."

Maria chuckled and released Alex as they entered the dining room so she could greet the woman who had so thoroughly captured her best friend's interest.

"Isabel was just sayin' that you're havin' dinner with her parents tomorrow night," Michael said, taking the seat beside Maria.

Maria's gaze shot to Alex and her eyebrows lifted in question. _Dinner with the parents?_ He hadn't mentioned that while they were talking. She watched him as he fidgeted with the collar of his shirt. _He wasn't joking about his feelings for Isabel being serious, _she realized.

"Yeah, we're gonna take 'em out to a restaurant her mom likes."

"Nervous about meetin' 'em?"

"A little bit."

Michael chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be," he advised. "You're the kinda guy parents want their daughter to bring home."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm the kinda guy that scares the hell outta parents and you're the complete opposite of me. You're a parents' wet dream, Whitman."

"Michael, that's tacky," Isabel admonished, sitting down in the chair that Alex had pulled out for her.

He grunted when Maria kicked him under the table and shot a warning look in his direction. "What?" he muttered, glancing between the two women. "What? It was a compliment."

Alex laughed at the confused expression on the other man's face. "While that's certainly a disconcerting thought, I do understand the hidden compliment, so, thanks." He took his seat and settled in as dinner got underway; the food was good, the company was better, and for the first time he and Maria both enjoyed a few hours without sparing a single thought for the reason behind their presence in Roswell.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

Thursdays were always slow nights at the club, but even a slow night kept both bartenders busy. Michael left Joe handling the waitress's orders and was on his way to retrieve a rack of clean shot glasses when he glanced up and noticed Jesse moving through the crowd.

"Hey, Michael," he called when he reached the bar. "Have you seen Isabel tonight?"

He checked the end of the bar where Alex was waiting for Isabel and Maria to return from the ladies room before shrugging. "Heard you guys aren't together anymore so what're you doin' here?"

"Are you deaf?"

"Would you go away if I said yes?"

"No. I'm here to talk to Isabel and I know this is where she spends most of her time."

Michael smirked as he started taking the shot glasses out of the rack and putting them away. "Until recently you would've been right about that."

"I know what you're doing, and I'm not gonna fall for it. I've heard the rumors that she's been seeing some guy who's been hanging around, but for all I know you started that rumor."

"You give me too much credit."

"I doubt it." Jesse leaned forward, hands braced on the counter as he attempted to glare in an intimidating manner. "I want to talk to Isabel."

"Okay." He turned and yelled, "Yo, Alex!"

Alex turned his head when Michael called his name, nodding in question. He frowned when the bartender said something to the man at the counter before motioning in his direction. Considering Michael's protective nature where Maria was concerned he knew the guy had to be a local that he was familiar with; he was too suspicious to send a stranger over.

"You know Isabel?" the man asked when he reached the end of the bar.

Alex didn't straighten up from his slouched position as his gaze raked over the other man. "Maybe. How is that any of your business?"

"Because I intend to marry her."

"Uh-huh," Alex said slowly. "I was under the impression she gave you your walkin' papers."

"She's confused. We've been together for a while now; I work for her father at his law firm and we're supposed to be married soon."

Alex regarded the man thoughtfully as he took a drink from his bottle of beer. "Most guys who intend to get married actually _ask_ the woman to marry them."

"Do I know you?"

"No."

"Then why are you giving me advice?"

"Hey, you came over here and started talkin' to me."

Jesse's eyes narrowed suspiciously and he glanced at Michael, annoyed by the man's amused expression as he leaned on the counter and watched them. "You're the guy she's been seeing." He frowned when Alex just stared at him. "Don't expect it to last; she'll be begging me to take her back once you leave."

"I don't think I can imagine a scenario farther from the truth, but it's your delusion, so feel free to go with it. As far as my leavin' goes, what makes you think she won't be goin' with me?"

"That's just absurd."

Alex stared at the man, shaking his head when he realized that he honestly didn't seem to have a clue. "I've got enough trophies on my mantle back home."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"It's not an implication; it's a statement of fact. You're interested in her for two reasons; to work yourself into a position of favor with Philip, and to make a good impression on your clients and golf buddies when you show up with a beautiful woman on your arm. You want a trophy wife whose daddy can help your career. You're not interested in her for any other reason."

"You're wrong." Jesse tried miserably to hide his surprise when the man mentioned Isabel's father by name. He had been working for Philip Evans for more than two years and the man had never asked him to call him by his first name.

"Bullshit. If you were in love with Isabel she wouldn't have been spending her evenings hangin' out here… by herself."

"My career – "

"Is more important to you than she ever was and she knows that. So, cut your losses and be thankful you still have a job." He glanced up and smiled when Isabel and Maria joined them.

"Are you ready, Alex?" Isabel was searching her purse for something and hadn't yet noticed her ex standing nearby.

Alex picked up the ring of keys she had left sitting on the counter and shook them, drawing her attention. "Lookin' for these?"

"Yes!" She leaned into him and kissed him. "We should go so we don't get to my parents' house late." She rolled her eyes at him. "I can't believe you and my dad both collect trains and you devote so much time to building train sets."

"Hey, if it's worth doin', it's worth doin' right."

Isabel smiled at the innuendo in his tone. "Remember that when it starts getting late and you guys are still in the den playing with that train."

Michael motioned for Maria to come around behind the bar when he saw the way she was watching Jesse, studying him suspiciously. "Isabel's ex," he said when she joined him. "I wouldn't have let him get that close to you if I didn't know him. He's a moron, but he's harmless."

Maria smiled and a shiver raced down her spine in response to his gruff tone. She nodded at the other couple when they left the ex staring after them as they made their way to the front entrance. "I'll go back to my usual seat as soon as he leaves."

"You ain't botherin' nobody back here."

"It's hard enough keepin' you focused on the customers with her sittin' at the end of the bar," Joe grumbled from behind them.

"Sounds like my cue to make myself scarce," Maria said, intentionally brushing up against Michael. "Since my presence is affecting your ability to focus."

He groaned at her teasing move and his arm snaked around her waist so he could pull her up against his body more fully. His mouth settled over hers, hot, wet, and with just the slightest hint of desperation.

"Y'know how to make a _Temptation_?" she whispered when he released her.

"Uh-huh, but I've had about all the temptation my poor body can stand; what're your thoughts on _Wild Sex?_"

"Ask me again later." She stretched up to kiss him once more before backing away and moving to her regular seat at the end of the bar.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael walked through the swinging doors that led back into the area that housed the kitchen and the break room, smoothing his hands over the fresh black tee shirt he had changed into. Closing time had come and gone a while ago and he had rushed everyone off just as soon as they had knocked most of the cleaning out. Most of the lights were off and only a couple of the lights had been left on over the dance floor.

Maria had spent the evening flirting with him even more than usual and he had a feeling that tonight was _the_ night. They would be lovers before dawn, he could feel it. He didn't know what had caused her to make that decision, but all evening she had done everything but say the words.

When closing time had rolled around she had wandered over to the booth where the sound equipment was kept, staying out of the way while the employees cleaned up and got everything ready for the next day. He paused at the edge of the dance floor, listening to the sound coming from the speakers. She had obviously figured out how to operate the sound equipment because music was playing, but at a considerably lower volume than normal.

He couldn't control the smile that lifted the corners of his mouth when she crossed the room. "You ready to go?"

"Dance with me," she urged, taking his hands and tugging on them.

"I don't dance." He shrugged. "You ever seen how a puppet moves when half the strings have been cut? That's what I look like on a dance floor; uncoordinated and lacking any rhythm whatsoever."

Maria shook her head and wrapped her left hand around his belt, dragging him out on the floor. "I've heard your music preferences, so it makes sense that you have no rhythm, but no one's looking, and I don't think one slow dance will kill you."

He huffed in indignation but allowed her to pull him out onto the dance floor and arrange his limbs to her satisfaction. _Okay, well, it wasn't all that bad,_ he thought when her body settled against his. The way they fit together so perfectly was still a shock to him; he hadn't expected that when they had started seeing each other. Sitting together for a meal, sleeping in his bed, snuggling on the couch watching a movie, or even this… dancing, everything they did together felt so right it just blew his mind. He had never experienced anything like it with any of the women he had slept with, so what was it about her that made him feel such a sense of belonging, of home?

Maria quickly realized that he hadn't been exaggerating about his lack of rhythm on the dance floor. In order to protect her toes from permanent damage due to repeatedly being stepped on, she shifted slightly and stood on the toes of his boots; they were steel-toe so he wasn't in any danger of sore toes. Her eyes scanned over his features when he didn't notice the change, and she wondered what he was thinking as he stared at her without really _looking_ at her.

"Michael?"

"Huh?" He blinked, bringing her into focus as he shook his head. "What?"

"Are you ready to go?"

"Told you I couldn't dance," he muttered as he lowered his arms and met her gaze directly.

"No, it's not that," she denied. "I enjoyed the _Wild Sex_ earlier."

He brightened at that. "Yeah?"

"Um-hmm." She hid a smile as she led him off of the dance floor. "Although I've had one on my mind all night that you haven't offered and I haven't asked for yet."

"What's that? Cuz there ain't a drink I can't make."

"I've had a _Screaming Orgasm_ on my mind, but I was thinking we could forego the drink this time around, if that's all right with you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

Michael was having a difficult time unlocking the front door of the trailer; the light over the door had burned out months ago, making it impossible to distinguish one key from another. Not that it mattered because he couldn't tear his mouth off of hers and now that his hands had encountered bare skin he had no idea what he had even done with his keys.

All he knew was that if they didn't get inside and quick they were gonna be giving his neighbors who already hated him a show they weren't likely to forget anytime soon. The last thing he needed was to get arrested for public indecency, but in a few more minutes he was gonna be beyond even caring about that. He threw his weight back against the right side of the door, knowing that the he could bust the lock with very little effort.

Maria pulled back slightly at the sound of splintering wood. "What's that?" she asked, only interested because whatever it was had caused them to break contact.

"Nothin' I can't fix tomorrow," he muttered, pulling her mouth back to his as he stepped up and backed inside. He kicked the door shut and pinned her to it while he fumbled for the deadbolt, sighing when he finally located it and he heard the lock slide into place. His hands made quick work of divesting her of the tee shirt and bra she was wearing and tossing them behind him, careless of where they landed.

Maria quickly returned the favor and groaned when his big hands came up to cup her breasts, the rough pads of his thumbs grazing over her nipples, teasing them into taut peaks before his mouth replaced them.

"God, Michael…"

He chuckled and the sound reverberated against her sensitive flesh for several seconds before his mouth found hers once more with unerring accuracy. His amusement was quickly buried when her pelvis ground into his and he obeyed her unspoken command by sliding his hands down her sides and over her hips to grasp the backs of her thighs and lift her up.

Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms came around his shoulders, her hands tangling in his messy hair. He growled low in his throat when her fingers tugged on his hair and he reluctantly lifted his mouth from hers, his questioning gaze searching hers in the faint moonlight that crept in through the uncovered windows.

_Christ, she was beautiful,_ he thought as he scanned over her flushed face before looking down at her heaving breasts.

With her back against the door, Maria had enough support to release his shoulders and her hands came up to frame his face, exerting just enough pressure to bring his gaze level with hers again. Her eyes were burning with intensity and passion as she searched his deep, dark eyes.

Michael returned her stare and wondered if he should say something to break the moment because she was studying him as if her life depended on it. "Are we movin' too fast?" he asked, uncertain of her sudden stillness.

"No." She laughed quietly, the sound husky. "No, but I'm about to tell you something that may completely kill the mood."

His expression turned wary. "What?" His hands came up to cradle her face when he saw unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "Maria, what's wrong?"

"I'm falling in love with you, Michael." Her fingers traced over his features as she watched him for his reaction. He didn't pull away but she could see a myriad of emotions crossing his face as he tried to process her words. "I'm not asking you to say it in return; I just wanted you to know how I feel before we go any further."

Michael could feel his heart hammering in his chest in response to her statement. _What was he supposed to say to her?_ In twenty-six years no one had ever said those words to him and he had long ago accepted that fleeting moments of passion and one-night stands were going to be as close as he ever got to anything meaningful. "I don't know… I mean… I can't promise…"

Maria brought her hand up to cover his mouth, stopping the stuttered words. "I just wanted _you_ to know how I feel." She paused to search his gaze. "I'll understand if that's too much for you to handle – "

Michael's mouth crashed into hers, cutting off her offer to let him back out and not take their relationship to the next level. He didn't know where this thing with her was going to lead; she lived in a condo in New York and he lived in a trailer in New Mexico, she was a respected journalist and he was a bartender… _was it even possible for them to find a way to bring their lives together?_ He didn't have an answer for that question, all he knew was that he wanted to see where this thing might take them.

He reached up and moved her hands back to his shoulders and he slid his arms around her as he stepped away from the front door. He made it down the hallway and into his bedroom without a single misstep, something he could attribute to the many times the electricity had been turned off because his foster father had spent all the money on beer and ignored the bills.

He lowered her to the floor beside the bed without breaking the kiss and her eager hands made it to the snap on his jeans before he could reach the waistband of her shorts. He took a step back when she slowly ended the kiss, following her silent command to stand still when she knelt before him to unlace his boots. Once he had kicked them off and toed his socks off as well she reached up to lower his zipper and slide his jeans and boxers over his hips and down his long legs.

Michael groaned when he felt her hot breath brush against the tip of his erection and he knew that if her mouth touched him it was all over and he didn't want that for their first time. She must have understood when his hands cradled her head and his fingers clenched and spasmed around handfuls of her hair.

"Later," she whispered, her fingernails gently scraping against his outer thighs as she stood once more.

"Naked, now," Michael growled, and quickly stripped her of the last of her clothes. He was fast reaching the end of his proverbial rope and he didn't want to be still standing there, wondering what it would feel like to be inside of her, when that happened.

"This is probably a really bad time to ask," Maria said, stopping him with a hand on his chest when she felt the backs of her knees hit the side of the bed, "but you do have protection, don't you?"

"Ah, fuck!" Michael swore, scrambling around in the dark to find his jeans and the wallet in the back pocket.

Maria chuckled as she threw the blankets back and settled in his bed, propping herself up against the pillows. His long litany of colorful profanities was interrupted by a sudden triumphant shout quickly followed by the sound of a foil packet being torn open.

Moments later the mattress dipped as he climbed into bed and she felt him straddle her legs as he leaned forward over her body. "I can honestly say that I've never had this much fun tryin' to have sex," he growled as he lowered himself until he was stretched out over her, carefully keeping most of his weight balanced on his forearms.

"Me either," she admitted and pulled him down for another kiss. She felt his knee move to nudge her thighs apart and she shifted to accommodate him, moaning when he settled more fully against her. She nipped his bottom lip before letting him slide down to take her breasts in his mouth again.

"Michael?"

He mumbled a response but didn't raise his head.

"Remember what I told you about foreplay the second time we met?"

"Uh-huh… it has its place." He had no idea how he remembered that and he didn't really care. He released the nipple he had been laving and his dark eyes glittered in the moonlight as he raised himself up to meet her gaze. Her pupils were so dilated the green of her irises was a thin ring that was hardly distinguishable and he could feel her pulse pounding at every pulse point in her body. He grinned when she shifted against him restlessly, seeking more intimate contact and he leaned down to kiss her as his right hand slid down between them.

She was more than ready; wet, swollen, and extremely sensitive when his fingers slid through her folds. He quickly found the bundle of nerves and alternated between rubbing and pressing against them as her hips bucked beneath him. He brought her right to the edge before backing off several times and when she finally couldn't stand anymore teasing she reached down and grabbed the first thing her hands came into contact with to pull him back up to her.

"I wasn't kidding," she growled, kissing him hard and fast.

Michael didn't have time to get a single complaint out about the abuse his ears were taking when she grabbed hold of them and hauled him back up to her mouth. She felt him shift up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he slid into her with ease, shocked by the sense of absolute rightness that came with making love with him. His tongue tangled with hers as he took control of the kiss, forcing his body to stay still while she adjusted to him.

He waited for her to buck up against him, letting him know that she was ready before he withdrew and thrust into her again. He kept his rhythm slow and even at first and his hands slid up to thread his fingers through hers, resting them on the pillow on either side of her head.

Before long her hips were pushing up to meet every thrust and his pace quickened. He quickly released her hands when his knuckles brushed against the wall, sliding his hands under her and wrapping them around her shoulders to keep her head from hitting the wall. Their bodies were slowly inching up the bed as they increased their pace, rapidly rushing towards their shared goal as they climbed towards the peak in search of the ultimate freefall.

He changed the angle of penetration slightly and her breathless cries let him know he had literally hit the spot. She was having a difficult time finding purchase on his sweat-slick body and her hands finally settled for gripping his shoulders, curling around them and holding on as she felt her orgasm building.

Michael was teetering on the edge when she started chanting his name breathlessly in between the kisses she was brushing against every inch of his skin that she could reach. He lowered his head to her right breast, swiping his tongue over the nipple in time with his thrusts. He shifted to her other breast, giving it the same attention before sucking it into his mouth and scraping his teeth over it. That pushed her over the edge and she came screaming his name as her fingers dug into his flesh, her nails leaving deep, half-moon imprints.

Maria felt his hips stutter as he lost his rhythm and she knew he was close. Her heart was ready to pound out of her chest as she pulled his head down so she could whisper in his ear. "Let go," she whispered and kissed him. "I can take it."

Her words pushed him over the edge and he pressed his forehead against her shoulder, his breath hot and heavy as he panted against her skin. He let himself go, encouraged by her whispered words, and his hips slammed into hers repeatedly as he came. His vision grayed out as his body tensed up and he shouted his release to the entire world, silently congratulating himself when his mind registered the fact that he had made Maria scream through another orgasm.

He could have easily fallen asleep right then and there, but he forced himself to move to her side so he could dispose of the condom. He flopped back down beside her and she settled into his arms when he pulled her to him. Their hearts slowly eased back into a normal rhythm and their breathing slowed by degrees as they lay in the silence that followed.

"Would it bother you if I said I love you?" Maria asked as she shifted around and stretched out on top of him. She placed her hands on top of each other on his chest and rested her chin on them as she regarded him.

"I can't say it back, Maria."

She watched him for several long minutes, wondering what had caused him to be so wary of emotions and forming attachments. "I'm not asking you to, and until you want to, until you're comfortable saying those words, I don't want you to say them. It's the first time I've ever felt this, Michael, and I'd love to shout it to the world, but the last thing I wanna do is scare you off."

Michael brought his hands up to trace his fingers over her face. "I've never felt…" He cleared his throat as he tried again. "What we just did… I've never felt that with anyone else, Maria; I've never let myself…" He trailed off, unable to complete his thoughts. "I don't know how to do this," he said finally.

"Neither do I," she admitted with a smile. "We'll muddle our way through it together."

He was silent for a few minutes. "You can say it. I mean, y'know, if you want to."

Maria smiled as she shifted up to kiss him. "I love you, Michael."

His dark eyes locked on her as she settled back down on his chest and he suddenly grinned. "You weren't kiddin' when you said you wanted a screaming orgasm."

"And you weren't kidding when you said you could deliver." She chuckled. "I'll never look at alcoholic drinks the same way."

"I sure as hell hope not," Michael muttered and reached for the blanket when he felt her shiver. He could feel her body becoming heavier as sleep began to pull her under and he found himself unable to do the same. _Would he ever be able to feel the same way about her that she felt about him? Was he even capable of that?_ His thoughts kept him awake, and the first rays of dawn were breaking over the horizon before he finally fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 9**

Marcos Salazar leaned forward in the high-backed leather chair, the fingers of his right hand drumming out an irritated rhythm on the surface of the expensive mahogany desk. He stared intently at the man sitting across from him, listening without interrupting until he had finished reporting his findings.

"You're positive your information is accurate?"

"Without a doubt. Some small-town lawyer in Roswell paid a small fortune to hire an investigator to gather information about Whitman. I checked the Intel myself and he arrived back in the country the same day DeLuca fell off of the radar, and he never made it back to his condo. There was nothing in the investigator's report that mentioned her, but I'd recommend sending someone to check it out."

Marcos considered the new information, weighing the pros and cons of sending one of his people across the country without having confirmation that the woman was actually there. He nodded after several long minutes. "Take Palmer and Doss with you; if you find her, get rid of her and Whitman." He paused, watching the other man as he stood up and waited to be dismissed. "And, Aidan?"

The younger man met the cold eyes belonging to the head of the organization and he nodded at the unspoken warning. He had missed taking DeLuca out twice; if he missed this time he wouldn't get another chance to rectify the situation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael lay back in bed, his right arm flung over his head and his left hand massaging Maria's neck as she slept against his chest. Without fail, she always settled on top of him and fell asleep in this position after they made love. He smiled as his gaze lowered to her relaxed features and his mind wandered over the past couple of weeks. They had been officially seeing each other for three weeks and it had been two weeks since they had become lovers.

Even though he still wasn't able to tell her he loved her it hadn't stopped her from telling him she loved him. He liked that about her, that ability to be so open and honest, to express her feelings, and to tell the entire world that he, Michael Guerin, belonged to her and that he was worth loving. He felt so inadequate next to her; his capabilities as far as sharing his feelings were practically Neanderthal compared to hers. She had no problem saying that she loved him, no matter who she was talking to or who was around, and the closest he could get to that was kissing her in public and making it known that she belonged to him. He didn't feel worthy of her love and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get the words to come out, to tell her that he thought maybe he felt the same. _Maybe that kind of declaration wasn't good enough anyway,_ he thought. It wasn't like he was any good with saying how he felt, sharing his emotions, or even showing his emotions.

_Does it matter?_ the little voice in his head taunted. _Her time in Roswell was almost up, and then what would happen? They lived two thousand miles apart, their lives were completely different, and long distance relationships never worked. Was it even worth worrying about what was gonna happen when she left? She was so vibrant, so full of life, and driven to make the world a better place; what could he possibly have to offer her?_

Maria stirred after a while, turning her face away from the sunlight streaming in through the open window and snuffling against Michael's chest. "Why're you still awake?" she mumbled.

"How'd you know I was awake?"

"Because when you sleep you're completely limp." She chuckled when he grunted at her choice of words. "What I meant was your body's completely relaxed when you sleep; you're not that relaxed when you're awake." She pressed a kiss against his chest. "What's on your mind, Michael?"

"Work," he lied. "Joe asked me last night if I could cover for him for a couple hours tonight, so I've gotta go in a little early."

"Why don't you drink, Michael?" she asked curiously.

"What?"

"Well, you work in a bar, but I've never once seen you take a drink of anything alcoholic. Why is that?"

"Alcohol doesn't agree with my alien blood," he answered offhandedly.

Maria frowned and shifted so that she could see his face. "Why won't you ever give me a straight answer to anything? Why does everything come back to this ridiculous story you've concocted about you being an alien?"

"It's not a ridiculous story," he snapped.

"Well, it's a serious detour from reality." She sighed. "Look, I'm not trying to start a fight; I know there are things maybe you're not ready to share, but can't you just say that? Is it really necessary to make up these stories?" She shook her head and sat up when she saw the storm clouds building in his dark eyes. "It's obvious you had a shitty childhood, you've got some oddities… like mixing Tabasco sauce in just about everything, and maybe you don't drink because your foster father was an abusive alcoholic, but none of those things are even remotely related to aliens. Maybe growing up around all of this mythology you just allowed yourself to believe it because if you were an alien then maybe it made your life a little more bearable, but it's not something you should continue passing off as reality."

"It is reality… it's my fuckin' reality." He got out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans, pulling them on and stalking out of the bedroom. She heard the front door slam a few minutes later and not long after that the motorcycle engine roared to life.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex opened the front door of Isabel's house when the doorbell rang and he immediately pulled Maria into his arms when he saw her distraught features. "What happened?" he demanded as he stepped back into the house and shut the door.

"What's going on?" Isabel asked, worried.

"I don't know what to do about Michael," Maria admitted finally.

Isabel regarded the other woman thoughtfully. "Did you guys have a fight?"

"I don't even know if you can call it a fight. I know this's Roswell, but Michael seems to have some sort of irrational attachment to the mythology." She paced around the living room, oblivious to the looks passing between the couple.

"Irrational attachment?" Alex echoed.

"He thinks he's an alien," Maria practically shouted. "And he's not kidding, you guys; he's dead serious."

Isabel cleared her throat. "He, um, he told you that?"

"Yes! Can you believe that? Look, I know he grew up in a very bad situation, and it's completely plausible that believing that he's an alien is just a transference thing, but whatever the reason – "

"It's the truth."

Maria fell silent as she stared at the tall blond, shocked that she was enabling Michael. "Look, Isabel, if he's got some mental instability…" She trailed off, offended when the woman had the audacity to laugh at her.

"Michael isn't unstable, mentally or otherwise."

"Well, he's got a few screws loose somewhere. It's obviously a coping mechanism; it's how he dealt with being an orphan and being raised by someone like Hank. And, okay, I can understand that; no one wants to grow up in those conditions and creating a story like that to deal with things as a child is one thing, but he's a grown man now and it's time to deal with reality."

"He told you today?"

"What? No, he's been telling me he's an alien from day one, but I figured he was just joking, that it was something he was saying because I said I was here researching a book with the intention of proving that aliens are just a myth." Maria shrugged. "It was cute at first, but this complete lack of attachment to reality is now affecting – "

The fist pounding on the front door interrupted her and a moment later Michael's loud voice was demanding entrance. "Isabel!"

"Alex, why don't you take Maria out the back way so I can talk to him?" She shook her head when the other woman started to protest. "I've known him my whole life; trust me, it's a good thing that he's here."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael drove around aimlessly for a couple of hours before he found himself back at the trailer. As soon as he had walked through the front door he had known she was gone; he never registered the fact that her things were still there, all he knew was that _she_ wasn't there and his heart started to pound. He didn't know why he hadn't stayed and demanded that she listen to him; he only knew that her casual dismissal of what he had been telling her all along had… hurt.

He had reacted the only way he knew how to in that type of situation – he ran. It was what he always did when faced with something he didn't know how to deal with, but this time was different. He had only gotten so far before he had realized that he didn't really want to run this time; he didn't want to run from her or the situation, but he also didn't know how to deal with it.

Which was how he had found himself in a quiet, residential neighborhood, standing on Isabel's front porch while pounding on her front door, and yelling for her to answer. She was his best friend, his confidant, and the one person he would listen to when it came to getting advice.

Relief swept over him when the door was pulled open and he stomped in when she stepped aside, waving in invitation.

Isabel followed him into the kitchen and watched him pace restlessly for several minutes, trying to work up the courage to spill his guts. She had never seen him get this worked up over a woman or anything else. Sure, she had seen him angry, agitated, sullen, irritated, pissed off, and even hurt on a few rare occasions, but the emotions rolling off of him were so strong she could practically feel them.

For the past few weeks Michael had been… well, happy was the only word that came to mind, and Maria was the one responsible for that. In all the years that she and Michael had known each other she hadn't once seen him respond to any woman the way he had responded to the journalist.

His childhood had sucked, there was no way to pretend otherwise, and it was responsible for a lot of the anger and frustration that was so much a part of his personality. Nothing she had ever said had convinced him that he deserved better than the hand he had been dealt and his fear of rejection and more disappointment had crippled him to some degree. He wasn't the type of man who formed attachments; he had decided years before that he would never be the kind of guy who fell in love or got the girl and he had lived his life according to that belief. He wasn't the kind of man who held down a typical nine-to-five job either, but that hadn't stopped her from trying to get him into jobs other than the one he currently held down. It wasn't that she was trying to change him; she was just trying to get him into something that would eventually help him to move on to something bigger and better. She wanted him to get out of Roswell and find something or someone that could help him realize his full potential. He had a lot to offer despite his belief to the contrary and the past few weeks she had felt that maybe he was beginning to realize that.

She waited until his erratic pacing started to wind down before she leaned in the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened?"

"She thinks I'm crazy," he blurted out.

"Why?" she asked calmly. With Michael it was always tricky getting him to open up and talk about anything, but that difficulty was magnified when it came to anything personal.

"She thinks I made the whole alien thing up because my life sucks and makin' up stories is the only way I can deal with it."

"You told her the truth?"

"I've told her the truth since day one; I've never lied to her."

"So, you what, just introduced yourself and said, 'oh, yeah, and I'm an alien'?" Isabel shook her head in disbelief.

"No." He rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling stupid on top of everything else. "She was teasin' me about bein' hot…" He glared at Isabel when she chuckled at him. "And I just casually mentioned that it was quite possibly due to the fact that I'm not human."

"And at what point did you sit down and actually have a real conversation with her about your status as an alien?"

"I never lied to her or said I was anything I'm not!"

_Good Lord, sometimes she just wanted to yell at him like a mother would when confronted with an unruly child. He was giving her a major headache with his ranting. _Isabel briefly rested her hand over her eyes, before rubbing the bridge of her nose in an effort to push the headache away. "Don't yell at me, Michael! Did you ever at any point actually sit down and talk to her about it or did you just throw it out there when you were flirting with her?"

Michael tried to stay calm, but it was proving to be difficult. _He had been honest, right from day one, so why was Isabel on __**his**__ back? _"Why does it matter? I told her the truth."

His tone had turned petulant and now he was leaning against the counter with his arms wrapped around his chest in a self-hug. It was a defensive posture and she had seen him do it countless times through the years. "You knew when you started hanging around with her that she didn't believe in aliens, which means you revealed the truth knowing she would never believe you."

"Bullshit."

"Michael, I love you, but you're one of the most aggravating men I've ever known. You know you told her the truth because you knew she'd never believe you." She shook her head and sat down at the breakfast table by the windows. "She's completely biased against anything even remotely related to aliens because of her parents and knowing that she wouldn't believe a word you said about being an alien made it safe for you to be _honest_ with her."

"I told her the truth; it's not my problem if she doesn't believe it," he insisted stubbornly.

"It is your problem and it's one that's not gonna go away. She'll leave eventually, and when she does you're gonna be left here, alone and with the knowledge that you let her get away without putting up a fight for her. You're not a coward, Michael; go talk to her and tell her the truth without hiding behind a bunch of flirty comments."

"It's her loss." He shrugged and turned to look out the window, feeling like he had just swallowed a mouthful of broken glass.

"It will be her loss because she loves you, but what you seem to be ignoring here is the little fact that you love her too… and that makes it your loss as well."

"It'll pass after a while and we can go on like we did before they got here." A little voice inside of Michael was screaming at him that he was being an idiot, that it would never pass, but he refused to listen to it. It would go away, period. He had decided that it would, so that was what would happen.

"No, we can't," Isabel denied quietly. "I spent nine months with Jesse and he never knew the truth about me; I've been with Alex less than a month and he already knows more than Jesse ever did. As for them leaving and us going on like we did before…" She shook her head and met his gaze directly when he turned to face her. "He asked me to go to New York with him."

Michael uncrossed his arms and stared at Isabel in shock. _She couldn't be serious… she couldn't be thinking of leaving Roswell, her parents… him!_ "What? You've only known him a matter of weeks!"

"I'm not gonna let fear control my life, Michael; I've spent too many years doing that. It's not a decision that I made blindly or without thought. We even sat down and discussed it with my parents and while they're not exactly thrilled about me moving across the country, they're comfortable with Alex and they trust him to take care of me."

Michael chewed on his bottom lip for several long seconds before bringing up what he felt was a very crucial question. "You told him you're an alien?"

Isabel looked at him and answered without batting an eye. "Yes, I told him." She was an adult and she didn't need to ask for Michael's permission to reveal _her_ secret.

"And he believed you?" Incredulity colored his voice.

"Not at first, but he does now."

She watched him as he started to pace again, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Do you honestly want to go back to the way you were before she came into your life?"

"What choice do I have? She's leavin', right?"

"Are you gonna tell her how you feel before she leaves?"

Michael squeezed his eyes shut as he turned his back to her again. "I can't get the words out, and it doesn't matter anyway because she thinks I'm crazy."

"Are you seriously gonna hide behind that and risk losing her?" She hated the way he isolated himself, but she had done the same thing for most of her life so she couldn't fault him for it. "Michael, do you have any idea how different you've been these past few weeks?"

He nodded but remained silent. He knew how being with her had changed him, even after such a short amount of time, but he was still terrified of opening himself up that much. "I don't know how to… I'm not good with words, Isabel, and I can't… I don't know how to just say what I feel."

"I don't think she's expecting you to be poetic or eloquent, Michael, which is good because you are neither of those things." She smiled when he scowled at her. "Do you love her?" She accepted his nod as an answer. "Then tell her."


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11**

"I cannot believe that you of all people is standing here telling me that the man I've been seeing and the woman you've been seeing are both aliens."

Alex threw himself down on the couch in a boneless sprawl, his gaze following her as she paced around his hotel room restlessly. "You forgot her brother, Max," he said helpfully, "he's an alien, too."

Maria leaned over him, her small hands gripping fistfuls of his shirt as she shook him. "You do not believe this, Alex! What is it, huh? A practical joke that you instigated or are you just going along with it?"

He reached up to remove her hands from his shirt. "You said he's been tellin' you he's an alien from day one, so why are you just freakin' out about it now?"

"I'm freaking out because I think he honestly believes it and that means he's unstable. He works in a bar and I've never once seen him take a drink, so I asked him why he doesn't drink – "

"Their bloodstream doesn't process alcohol like ours does – "

"Damn it, Alex! This isn't funny!" Maria shouted, angry that he was still playing along with the charade.

"I'm not tryin' to be funny." Alex sat up and caught her hand before she could pass him again. "Maria, sit down and listen to me. I may have played some pretty crazy pranks on you over the years, but I'm your best friend and I've never lied to you. I know how you feel about the subject of aliens and everything that goes with it, and you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't use it to pull a prank. You're one of the most open-minded people that I have ever known, but when it comes to this subject you've completely closed your mind to the possibilities."

"It's just absurd," she denied.

"He's isolated himself here, he doesn't drink alcohol, he eats hot sauce on everything he can get his hands on…" He trailed off when she started shaking her head.

"Those things can all be explained, Alex; they're classic symptoms of a dissociative disorder." She braced her elbows on her knees and dropped her head in her hands. "He had a difficult childhood; he was left in the desert, orphaned, placed into the care of an abusive alcoholic, and he practically raised himself. I can understand why he chose to create this ridiculous story about being an alien because growing up like that would mess with anybody's head, but if he honestly believes it as an adult then he needs help."

"Maria, you can explain it away a dozen different ways, but all you're gonna do is push him away. You told me you're in love with him, that you don't want things to end when it's time to go back to New York, so why aren't you fightin' for him? Huh? You guys are both fighters and instead of standin' up and fightin' for each other, you're both runnin' in the opposite direction."

"How long have you known?" she asked, trying to turn the conversation away from her.

Alex shrugged. "Long enough, and before you ask, no, I didn't tell you. I knew you'd never believe me, and besides that, it was somethin' that needed to come from him. Let's go back to that part where you said that he's told you he's an alien from way back at the beginning."

"What about it?"

"It didn't stop you from getting involved with him."

"No, but, c'mon, Alex, I just thought it was his hook, y'know? I didn't realize that he actually believed it until earlier." She fell silent as she slumped back on the couch and let her thoughts roam over the past few weeks with Michael. He hadn't done anything to indicate that he was anything other than human; she had seen him angry, hurt, and happy, but there was nothing that pointed to him being an alien.

"They have to hide who they are, Maria," Alex said softly. He knew what a shock it had been when Isabel had told him about herself, and he had always been open to the possibility of the existence of aliens, so he could imagine what was going through his best friend's mind right about now.

She sat up suddenly and her eyes widened. "You're telling me I've been having sex with an alien."

"Yeah, that one was a shock for me, too." He chuckled. "There's only one other person that knows the truth about them and that's her brother's fiancé, Liz. Look, Maria, it's gotta say somethin' that they trust us enough to reveal a secret that they've never shared with anyone; not their parents, previous lovers, friends… no one."

"If this is true…" Maria groaned when her thoughts turned back to what she had said to Michael earlier. His words had been angry, but his eyes had been filled with hurt and betrayal. "Oh, my God, Alex, the things I said to him. You don't understand…"

"Yeah, I do; you basically accused him of bein' crazy, but you've still got time to fix it."

"Where do I start?"

"With a really big apology." Alex chuckled. "It's so seldom that we're right that we really enjoy it when our women have to grovel for our forgiveness."

"That would explain why you've been single most of your adult life."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael stood on the cliff that looked down over the quarry, his mind trying to process his thoughts as fast as they flew through his head. He knew Isabel was right; he had known from the first time he had casually mentioned that he wasn't human that Maria thought he was just using it as a pickup line. The fact that she didn't believe it made it easier to tell her things about himself because she believed he was teasing her. Well, that's what he had thought until this morning when she had insinuated that he had created the alien story as a way to deal with his past. That had been a bit of a blow to his ego.

Could he convince Maria that he was an alien? _Yeah, that wouldn't really take much; he had abilities that would easily prove to her that he was what he said he was._ She was the first person he had ever wanted to know the truth and he had probably blown any chance of her wanting to be with him because of the way he had handled it.

_Was he willing to let her go back to New York thinking he had some sort of mental problem? Thinking, like just about everyone else that he wasn't worth the effort to keep around? No, he wasn't willing to let that happen. So, how was he gonna fix it?_

He sighed. He had a really bad feeling that fixing this meant he was gonna have to open himself up, to let her inside, to see the things that he kept carefully hidden from everyone around him. That wasn't something he was comfortable with; just the thought of allowing someone that kind of access to the things that made him who he was scared the hell out of him.

He tossed the rock in his hand up in the air, catching it and repeating the motion several times over before he pulled his arm back and threw it out as far as he could over the water. For a moment he thought maybe he had pulled something because he had the strangest sensation in his chest but after a few moments he discounted that and turned to glance back in the direction of the town he had grown up in.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria looked around as she walked through the club, greeting some of the regulars by name as she made her way to the bar. She was sure her confusion was written clearly on her face when she saw Joe behind the counter with another man she didn't recognize. She leaned on the bar and called for the tall man that worked with Michael every night, motioning for him to join her when he turned and looked at her.

"Where's Michael?" she asked, her voice raised to be heard above the noise in the club.

Joe frowned. "Called in sick." He shrugged. "Probably a good thing too; he sounded like crap. It's the strangest thing because in six years he's never missed a day of work."

Maria's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Not once?"

"Nope. When you see him tell him to get well so he can get his ass back here." He nodded at the other man. "This new kid does _not_ know what he's doin'."

_Where would he have gone?_ Maria wondered as she walked along Main Street after leaving the club. She had gone by the trailer after talking to Alex, but as near as she could tell he hadn't been back since storming out after their disagreement that morning. She wasn't even sure what she was going to say to him when she did find him.

For the next couple of hours she checked everywhere he had taken her in the small town but still couldn't find him. No one she asked had seen him and she eventually gave up and decided to go back to the trailer to wait for him. _He had to come home at some point, right?_ She crossed one of the more heavily travelled streets, planning to cut through the city park to shave some distance off of her walk, but the sound of a horn blaring startled her and she turned to see what was going on.

Her breath froze in her throat when her curious gaze landed on the man who paused just out of the path of the passing car, his dark eyebrows furrowed as he flipped the driver off. She would recognize Aidan Salazar anywhere… his face haunted her dreams; she had watched him ruthlessly murder a man for no apparent reason and then turn around to finish his drink without the slightest sign of remorse on his cold face.

Her heart started to beat again, the rhythm so rapid it felt like it might pound right out of her chest at any moment. She watched as two other men joined him, immediately recognizing them as members of the organization that was headed by Aidan's uncle. She felt sick to her stomach when, after conversing for several minutes, he sent one of the men towards the hotel where she and Alex had been staying. He had only kept the hotel room to keep up the appearance that he was staying there so she had no way to reach him. It was a small town so it wasn't going to take very long for them to verify that she was there, and once they had concrete proof it was only a matter of time before they pinpointed her location. What should she do? As soon as they had the information they were looking for Michael, Alex, and Isabel would all become targets.

She knew Alex had plans to meet Isabel for dinner, so at least he wouldn't be at the hotel for any reason. But she had no idea where they had gone and she didn't know the woman's phone number, which meant that she also had no way to warn them. Thankfully Michael wasn't at work, because it wasn't going to take long for the men to put things together and zero in on the club. The bad thing was that once they narrowed their search down it was going to lead them straight to his trailer, but if she hurried she might make it back there before them and maybe he would be there so she could warn him about the danger.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael parked the motorcycle on the sidewalk in front of the club and ran inside, scanning the crowd for Maria as he pushed his way through the sea of people. "Joe!" He had to yell to be heard and he ignored the surprise on the man's face when he hurried to the end of the bar. "Hey, you seen Maria tonight?"

"She was in here about three hours ago lookin' for you." He shook his head. "Haven't seen her since. Hey, I thought you were – "

"Okay." He turned and ran back out through the front entrance, bumping into a couple of people as he barreled through the doors. He had no intention of stopping until someone grabbed his arm and jerked him around and he knew who the man was before he ever saw his face. _One of the advantages of being an alien,_ he thought as he stared at the man, his expression impassive. "You want somethin'?"

"Watch your step, asshole," Aidan snapped.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Michael jerked his arm free, noting the weapon settled in the shoulder holster the man wore under his jacket. He forced his emotions to remain in check as he continued on to the motorcycle. He had to find Maria before they did; they had already tracked her to the club, so it wouldn't take much longer before they had his address.

The trailer was dark when he got there but he had a feeling she was there. He parked the motorcycle out of sight before unlocking the door and stepping inside. There was no doubt about it, she was there; he could feel the impact of several different emotions rolling off of her all at once.

"Maria?" The feelings got stronger as he walked through the hallway and his own emotions collided when he saw her huddled on the bed, her back against the wall. "Hey, I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, that you'd be safe with me," he whispered as he sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"They found me," she rasped, burrowing into his embrace and holding onto him tightly.

"Yeah, I ran into 'em at the bar. We need to get outta here; it won't take long for them to track us from there."

"We have to warn Alex and Isabel. I would've called, but Alex and I don't have our cell phones and I don't know her number… I couldn't call you because you don't have a cell phone either."

"I don't need a cell phone to know you need me, Maria." He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon, let's make a quick call and get outta here."

She followed him without question and listened to him as he made the call to Isabel and told her to take Alex and get out of town until he called and told her it was safe. Lights swept across the darkened interior as a vehicle pulled up close to the trailer and a moment later the engine was cut and silence fell over them once more.

Michael brought his hands up to cradle Maria's face, tilting it up so that he could look into her eyes. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Stay close and stay low." He crept back through the hallway and passed his bedroom, reaching for the door to the room that had remained shut since Hank's death. He had never ventured into the man's room, simply shutting the door on the memories before the man had even been buried.

There was another door off of Hank's bedroom that led outside and he was certain they could make it outside before their assailants knew what had happened. They would hear the motorcycle's engine, but he was counting on that; he had to get them out of town and to a location he could control, someplace where he would have the upper hand. They weren't the type of guys who were just going to leave without finishing the job they had come to do.

Maria stayed behind Michael as he shoved the door open and dropped down to the ground below, absently wondering what had happened to the steps. He held his hands up to her and she accepted them, using him for leverage as she jumped down to stand beside him. She stopped breathing when he held a hand up, tipping his head to the left as he listened for sounds from inside. As soon as he heard them rattling the doorknob on the bedroom door he motioned for her to follow him as he crept around the back of the trailer to where he had left the motorcycle.

"Michael, they're gonna hear us if we – "

He turned to look at her as he swung his right leg over the seat. "Either you trust me or you don't."

"These guys are dangerous!" she hissed, trying to get him to understand the situation.

"And I told you I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"Michael – "

"We're runnin' outta time," he said, his hushed tone urgent.

Maria nodded and climbed on behind him, her hands on his shoulders as he kick-started the motorcycle. The engine roared to life and he turned it so that they were facing the front door and revved the engine again.

Within seconds the three men appeared, rushing out of the trailer. Aidan quickly reached over to stop Doss when he reached for his gun. "We don't want the attention," he growled.

"No one around here would say a word if we took them out right now," Palmer argued, motioning at the trailer park around them. "Does this really look like an area where people call the cops?"

Aidan stepped forward and motioned towards Maria. "We don't want any trouble; we just came for the woman."

Michael met the cold gaze of the man who was obviously in charge and nodded once. "I'm not real big on sharin'."

"You seem like a fairly reasonable man, Mr. Guerin, so perhaps we can come to an agreement."

"I doubt it." He shrugged. "Since your only interest is killin' her."

Aidan nodded. "If you won't see reason, we'll just kill you too."

"You intend to kill me either way, so if you want 'er, you're gonna have to come an' get 'er."

"Let's go," he snapped when the kid took off. "Just be careful because we're on his turf, and the fact that he waited for us indicates that he wants us to follow him. He's up to somethin' and I don't like it."


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12**

Michael glanced over his shoulder and he nodded in satisfaction when he saw the black sedan pull out onto the road behind them. _They wouldn't be bothering her again, _he thought. He knew exactly where he was going; the old gas station at the edge of town was the perfect place for a showdown because it was deserted and all it needed was the right trigger to set off multiple explosions.

"Where're you going?" Maria shouted in an attempt to be heard over the motorcycle's engine and the wind whipping past them.

"To end this."

Maria had no way of knowing what he meant, but his words held a note of finality as they reached her ears. She looked around but didn't recognize the area they were driving through. Her arms tightened their grip around his chest when he suddenly left the road, cutting between a small break in a busted fence and losing their pursuers as they bounced across the pitted ground.

She glanced back to see the car stop near the fence, the headlights so close to the broken planks that it was throwing the light back on the men as they jumped out and scrambled around to see where she and Michael were going. Within seconds they had gotten back into the car and the glare of the headlights began to lessen as they backed out onto the road.

Michael stopped the motorcycle a safe distance from the gas station and dismounted, gesturing for Maria to follow him as he made his way around the abandoned building. They crept past the mechanics shop attached to the side of the station and he used his elbow to break the glass in one of the windows, reaching inside and unlocking the door. He pulled Maria in after him and left her side to rummage around the shop, kicking stuff out of the way as he searched for the things he needed.

After locating the tanks he twisted the knob and nodded to himself when he heard the whoosh of air. He quickly turned the knob back, closing the valve off and hauled them out of the building out to the islands where two old gas pumps still stood. Four tanks total, two propped up on either side of the pumps where they would remain unnoticed. _Now he just needed to draw their fire,_ he thought with a quick glance around.

"Okay, let's get outta here," he said, grabbing a handful of spark plugs off of an old shelf and leading the way out of the building. They left through the back door and hurried away from the shop just as a pair of headlights swept across the front of the building.

The car stopped and the men got out, leaving the engine running and the headlights on as they moved around looking for their targets.

From their vantage point hidden back out of sight, Michael watched the men as he waited for them to separate. As soon as they were looking away from his location he stood and threw two of the spark plugs through the door he had left open. It took only seconds before the men ducked down behind the car and started firing into the building, turning the shell into Swiss cheese.

"You might wanna cover your ears," Michael said before he stood up and his right hand shot out, extended in their assailants' direction.

Maria's mouth dropped open when a burst of energy – she didn't know what else it could be called – shot out from his open palm. Seconds later, amid the constant short bursts of gunfire from the semi-automatic weapons, several explosions rocked the ground beneath them as fire and smoke shot up into the night sky.

"Stay back," he ordered as he stepped away from the protection offered by the boulders. He hadn't taken a dozen steps before she was right beside him; he shook his head, but continued on towards the man lying on the ground next to the blackened shell of the car the men had been traveling in.

Michael leaned down and checked the man and stood once more when he couldn't locate a pulse, satisfied that he was no longer a threat. The second man had met the same fate; the force of the explosion had thrown him far enough back that his broken body was easily identified as lifeless without confirmation.

"We're missin' one," he muttered, glancing around.

"Aidan," Maria said, turning in a circle as she searched for the missing man.

"Right here, DeLuca." Aidan stepped out of the shadows, his gun leveled on them as he moved closer. "That was smart, kid; I didn't see the tanks until it was too late. I had a feelin' you were gonna be trouble."

"I see my reputation precedes me." Michael shifted so that he was between the man and Maria, shielding her with his body. "You're not gonna get 'er."

"I've already got 'er, you just don't know it yet."

"Over my dead body."

Aidan shrugged. "Suit yourself." He squeezed off several shots and laughed when Michael's body jerked with every impact before he fell to his knees. He shook his head when he heard Maria's screams, rolling his eyes when she dropped down next to the fallen man and started running her hands over him. "You should've known better than to get close to anyone, Maria," he purred as he came up close to them. "You had to know that we would kill him too… just like your mother… just like Whitman… they're payin' the price for knowin' you and tryin' to protect you."

Maria couldn't hear him over her pounding heartbeat and the blood rushing through her veins like a raging river. She wasn't prepared for it when Aidan leaned over to grab her shoulder and Michael suddenly surged up from the pavement, attacking the man with lightening quick moves.

Michael's shoulder was burning, the pain an agonizing, throbbing sensation, but he refused to rest until the other man fell to the ground unconscious. When Aidan finally fell, the weapon he had been holding clattered to the ground and Maria quickly kicked it as far away as possible before turning to look at Michael.

She was vaguely aware of red and blue lights flashing in the darkness as they neared the burning station, but all of her attention was focused on the man who had risked his own life to save hers. "Michael – " She froze when he took several steps back. "What're you doing?"

"Don't say a word to the cops about me getting shot." He shook his head. "You may not believe me, you may think I'm delusional, but, if you honestly love me, don't say anything that'll put the spotlight on me. You think I'm crazy, and that's fine, but if you tell them that I've been shot you'll put my life in jeopardy."

He eased out of his leather jacket and ran his hand over the hole in the shoulder, removing any trace of blood and damage. He transformed the shirt he was wearing, changing it to a dark color that wouldn't reveal the blood seeping out from the shoulder wound.

"What're you doing?" Maria asked, shocked at what she had just witnessed.

"The cops are gonna want my jacket as evidence that he tried to kill me." He held the jacket up, motioning at the bullets stuck in the material. "The jacket has a Kevlar lining; lucky for me he wasn't usin' a higher caliber weapon."

"Michael, you've gotta get help."

"I'll get help, but I can't get it from them." She frowned when his expression became closed off. For the next hour she watched him as cops talked to him, questioned him, and eventually took down his information before releasing him. She was still answering questions for yet another officer when a car pulled up and she saw Alex and Isabel step out. The tall blonde immediately assessed Michael's condition and bundled him into the front seat before turning to Alex. Their conversation was quick and within seconds she was running around to the other side and sliding back behind the wheel.

"Maria, what the hell happened?" Alex demanded as he joined her, shaking off the officer's attempt to hold him back.

"It's okay," she assured the officer. "He's my friend."

"What happened?"

"Are we finished here?" she asked tiredly.

The officer nodded. "I'll have one of the others drive you back to your hotel shortly, Ms. DeLuca. I think we have everything we need from you, but let me check with the sheriff and make sure. We'll be contacting your D.A. and if we need anything more we'll let you know but give me just a few minutes and I'll have you on your way."

Maria leaned against Alex when he wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. "Did Isabel take Michael home?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"She took him to her place; she thought that'd be best under the circumstances."

"I need to see him."

"She said to come by when the cops were finished with you." Alex frowned when he saw the blood on her right hand, but he waited until the officer had left them alone before he spoke up. "Maria?"

"Later," she said, shaking her head.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Isabel dropped her cell phone in the console between the seats and reached over to check Michael's pulse. She was relieved when he grumbled about her bothering him and he pushed her hand away. "Max is on his way, Michael."

"Great," he muttered as he did everything he could think of to ignore the pain in his shoulder. "Hope he's got a new speech all planned out cuz the old 'Michael-you-fucked-up-again' speech is getting tiresome."

"He just worries about you, Michael." She shook her head when he turned his head to look at her. "I know how he comes across but it's just because that's how he reacts – "

"Isabel, I'm not in the mood for a rationalization of your brother's behavior." He rolled his eyes and reached for the door handle as she pulled into her garage. "Look, I know he doesn't mean it the way it sounds when the words come out of his mouth, but it still makes me feel like an irresponsible little kid that can't be left without a babysitter."

She nodded and got out on her side, hurrying around to help him into the house. By the time they had made it inside the guestroom his face was nearly drained of color and he had broken out in a cold sweat.

"This fuckin' sucks," he groaned as he eased down to sit on the bed.

"Why didn't you protect yourself when he started shooting?"

"I did… for the most part. My jacket took the worst of it." He winced when she peeled his shirt away from the wound in his shoulder. "Damn jacket's lined with Kevlar; I just reinforced it a little across the chest before he started firing. Guess I should've gone a little further up."

"Yeah, I guess you should've," she muttered as she reached up to probe the area around the wound. The area where the bullet had entered didn't look that bad, but the exit wound was a different story.

"That bad, huh?" he asked when she moved back from examining the backside of his shoulder and he saw her concerned expression.

"Well, it's not pretty, but at least it's not bleeding very badly. Max said to clean the wound and bandage it heavily, and to keep you calm until he gets here."

"Two thousand miles away and he's still tellin' me what to do."

Isabel didn't respond to his comment, hoping to avoid an argument. "You wanna tell me what happened tonight?" she asked as she stepped into the bathroom to gather up what she needed.

"The guy who came after Maria is in custody; he's the one she saw murder somebody and he's also the one who shot me."

"Why didn't you just take him out with the other two?" She set a basin of warm water on the nightstand and dipped a washcloth into it, wringing it out and leaning over him once more.

"He's in a very bad position now," Michael answered, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder. It was taking everything he had to keep from snapping at her in response to the pain that was only getting worse as she cleaned the wound. She had been a constant his entire life, a combination of sister, mother, best friend, and confidant, so he was used to her just taking charge at times.

"If he's connected with some criminal organization won't they just find a loophole and get him out? He was already walking around free after being arrested for murder in New York."

"Killin' him would've been a waste of time; they would've just sent someone else after her. I ran into him at the bar, literally ran into him, and he grabbed me…"

"You got a flash," she guessed.

"Uh-huh. Failing to kill Maria makes him a target now… he's a liability to his organization. So, if he expects the cops to protect him he's gonna have to make a deal."

"Smart move."

He jumped up off of the bed, nearly knocking her over when the antiseptic came into contact with the wound. "Fuck, Isabel, that hurts!" he roared as the pain intensified to an excruciating level from a combination of the antiseptic and his sudden movements. "Did Max tell you to strip the skin from my bones? God, what'd you just use on me?"

The lamps on the nightstand began to tremble from the force of his emotional outburst and Isabel hurried to move away before they could explode.

"Oh, my God!"

Isabel breathed a sigh of relief when Maria's unexpected voice distracted him and the lamps settled, becoming stationary once more. "We need to watch for infection – "

"Max will be here in a matter of hours; I don't think I'm in any danger of my arm fallin' off due to infection. It might, however, become endangered if you continue to – "

"I'm not gonna stand here and argue with you, Michael. That wound has to be treated and bandaged."

"I'll do it, Isabel," Maria said, stepping between them. She looked at the tall blonde, her gaze silently asking the woman to leave them alone.

"Come to finish the job?" he muttered after Isabel and Alex had left the room. He tried to avoid any sudden movements as he sat down again.

"No, I came to say goodbye."

His head shot up and he met her gaze directly. "You're leavin'?"

Maria bit her bottom lip as she looked at him, taking in his guarded expression and the wariness in his dark eyes as he watched her. "I have to; the D.A. back home wants to start going over my testimony. After what happened tonight he's even more concerned that – "

"Concerned that he won't get your testimony before they kill you?" he snapped. "They can't keep you safe, Maria."

"I can't just not testify, Michael! What does it say about me as a person if I just turn my back and bury my head in the sand?" She shook her head. "That man who was killed deserves justice… my mother deserves justice, and if Salazar's organization isn't brought down they'll continue killing innocents and controlling the justice system."

"Then at least wait until Max gets here; once he heals my shoulder I'll be ready to go with you – "

Maria shook her head. "One of the sheriff's deputies is waiting outside to take us to the airport; he'll be flying back with us for protection – "

"What kinda protection can he offer? Can he protect you like I can? No, he can't, so just wait a few hours and – "

"Michael, I can't wait."

He nodded. "Because you don't trust me." Michael shook his head when she moved to close the distance between them. "Don't touch me," he growled. "Isabel can finish torturin' me after you leave."

"No, that has nothing to do with it," she denied. "I think the issue of trust is yours; why didn't you tell me the truth about yourself? And don't give me that bullshit about how you've been telling me since that first smartass comment about you being an alien. You told me because you knew I'd never believe it! How could you continue to play this game after the past few weeks? We've been so close, we've talked about a million things, told each other stuff that no one else knows, and you never once even tried to bring it up! Have you ever told any woman the truth?"

"No."

"Then how is what we have any different from any other relationship you've ever had? What am I supposed to think now, Michael?"

"Think what you wanna think; like you said, Maria, we've told each other all kinds of stuff, so you know my history of relationships is practically nonexistent."

"Don't act all flippant with me! If this thing between us meant more to you than your past relationships…" She shook her head when he started to protest. "I don't care if your longest relationship lasted a matter of days, that's not the point. My point is that you've indicated that what we have is important to you, but now I find out that you've got this huge secret! How could you not tell me?"

"Because I didn't know how you would react!" he shouted finally. "I was scared that if I told you the truth about myself you wouldn't want anything else to do with me. You've got a huge bias against everything that I am because of your parents. Did you ever stop to consider how it makes me feel when you go off on one of your rants about how their belief in the existence of aliens was a waste of time and how it ruined your family?" He sighed and his gaze dropped to the floor. "I didn't want you to look at me and see a monster, and I didn't want you to decide that I was no longer worthy of your love," he admitted quietly.

Maria could feel the anger draining out of her in the face of his explanation; his fears were valid and she couldn't deny that she had a bias against everything that he was. Just knowing the truth about him changed so many things and it forced her to accept that her parents weren't as crazy as she had always believed. "I guess there's no point in writing that book now," she said as she crossed the room and reached out to tip his face up to her. She searched his face and quickly identified the fear in his eyes. "I have a very difficult time writing anything in contradiction to the facts, and it's pretty obvious that you exist." Her fingertips grazed over his wounded shoulder, drawing his attention to it. "Let me bandage this for you."

He nodded finally and sat quietly while she gently packed gauze against the wound and then taped it down to hold it in place. He glanced at her when she leaned over to press a kiss against his shoulder. "I want you to wait a few hours, Maria. I can't go anywhere until Max gets here and heals this – "

"You have the ability to heal?"

"No, Max is the only one with that ability; my specialty is blowin' things up." He shook his head and reached up to take her hands when he realized what she was doing. "Don't change the subject."

"Michael, I can't wait; I won't risk your life – "

"It's mine to risk," he insisted.

"Why are you still in Roswell?"

"What?"

"You're still here because you're safe here. Say you come to New York; what happens after the trial's over and the danger's no longer there?"

He sighed in frustration. "I don't know, Maria; hell, I don't have all the answers."

"Neither do I, but I do know you're in no condition to take on New York City right now, and I've gotta get back."

"Maria…" He shoved himself to his feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that hit him as soon as he was vertical. "I'll call Max and have him meet us in New York."

"No." She gently pushed him back to sit down again. "We can't have a relationship that just goes one way, Michael; that's not fair to either of us. You've protected me, you've made it possible for me to make it to the trial so I can testify against Salazar and his organization, but now it's time for me to take the next step." She smiled as she leaned down to kiss him. "I won't put you in a position where you'll risk your life to protect me, not right now; you're not in any condition to protect me or yourself. What if you were too weak or you revealed yourself to the wrong people?" She shook her head. "I won't risk it, Michael. I'll come back after the trial's over."

"Maria?"

She looked up when Alex knocked on the open door.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we've gotta get goin'."

She nodded. "I'll be right there." She turned back to Michael. His dark eyes were slightly unfocused as he stared at her and he was starting to sway just slightly. "Here, you need to lie down."

Michael wanted to protest as she helped him to lie back on the bed but he couldn't focus on anything but her face. It was taking everything he had to stay conscious when he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and let the darkness take him to a place where the pain didn't exist.

"I love you," she whispered, kissing him again. He was fast losing the battle to remain conscious and before long his eyes slid closed and she stood back to look down at him. "I'll be back, Michael, but I don't want you to risk your life and I don't ever want to see you hurt like this again." She had lost enough since agreeing to testify against Salazar and it was past time for this thing to end.


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 13**

Maria opened her front door and stepped back to allow Alex to enter the apartment before turning to face him. Nearly a month had passed since they had come back home and she hadn't spoken to Michael once.

"What're you doing here, Alex?" she asked tiredly.

Alex wandered into the living room and dropped down to sit on the couch. His gaze roamed over his best friend as she came in and curled up in the chair across from him. "You still haven't heard from him?"

"Not a word." After everything she had been through the case hadn't gone to trial and he knew she had mixed emotions about that.

Aidan Salazar had turned over enough evidence to bring his uncle's organization to its knees and in exchange he had been placed in witness protection; he would never be punished for the murder Maria had seen him commit.

"Has Isabel talked to him?"

"Huh-uh."

Isabel had flown to New York less than a week after they had been called back, but she hadn't had much to say about Michael. He had made himself scarce after her brother had healed him and she had only seen him once before leaving to catch a flight to New York.

"Would she tell you if she had?" Maria sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Alex, that was uncalled for."

He waved the apology off and leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees as he watched her. He knew she had gone back to Roswell just as soon as she had been freed of her obligations to the D.A. and the case, but she hadn't been prepared to discover that Michael had left without telling anyone. He hadn't said a word to Isabel or her brother and no one seemed to have any idea where he had gone. She had gone to the bar and talked to Joe, but the bartender had only been able to tell her that Michael was no longer working there. "Can I talk you into goin' out with us tonight?"

"I don't know… I don't really feel like going anywhere."

"You need to get out and be around people, Maria. C'mon, just for a couple hours." He chuckled when she gave in reluctantly and nodded in agreement.

Maria rambled around the apartment after Alex left, glancing around at the things lying around out of place because she simply hadn't felt like making the effort to put them away. Maybe it was time to straighten things up and stop wondering where Michael was. She had made sure he had all of her contact information and her address but he hadn't bothered to contact her.

She had called him but he hadn't answered and the last call had been answered by an electronic voice that delivered an automated message – his number was no longer in service. _She needed to pull herself together,_ she thought. Michael had chosen to cut off any path of communication so she needed to accept that he didn't want anything to do with her. She would go out tonight and spend some time with Alex and Isabel, hit the dance floor for a few songs, and quite possibly drink too much in an effort to forget that she had lost the best thing that had ever happened to her.

The club was packed which was normal for a Friday night, but Maria wasn't really enjoying the pounding atmosphere the way she normally did. She had danced with a couple of guys, watched Alex and Isabel as they hit the floor for most of the songs, and the rest of the time she had spent staring into her drink without a single ounce of interest.

"Figures," she muttered. _Michael had managed to ruin alcoholic drinks for her._ She froze when she felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck and she turned her head, expecting to see Michael somewhere in the crowd watching her.

"Maria!"

She forced a smile when Justin squeezed between a group of people gathered in a circle waiting for their turn to place their drink orders and sauntered over to her. "No date tonight, Justin?"

"Not yet." He glanced at her untouched drink and his left eyebrow quirked in question. "It's positively criminal for you to be sittin' here all alone," he said as he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Why don't you come and dance with me; the women'll be comin' after me once they sense competition."

"I don't think helping you get laid is anywhere in my job description," she muttered, but didn't try to pull her hand back.

"I'll have it added in first thing Monday mornin'." He tossed a grin over his shoulder as they stepped out on the dance floor.

Maria couldn't help the smile that appeared at his teasing tone. It was easy enough to fall into sync with the music and she knew from experience that he was an excellent dance partner, but she would've traded it in a heartbeat for a moody alien who had no sense of rhythm whatsoever.

Nearly an hour passed before they left the dance floor, out of breath and laughing after a sad attempt to master a new dance that neither of them had ever done before. Alex and Isabel were already at the table when they got there, their bodies close together as they discussed something in low tones.

"You've seriously gotta tell me how my scruffy photojournalist managed to snag that woman," Justin said as he pulled Maria's chair out for her.

Isabel chuckled when Alex just grinned and shrugged at the man who sat down across from her. Justin had nearly fallen out of his chair the first time she had gone to the office to meet Alex for lunch and she had been introduced to the editor. As soon as he had recovered from the shock his first question had been to inquire whether she had a sister back at home.

"Where's our waitress?" Maria asked, glancing around when she realized that the drinks had been cleared from the table.

"She'll be back in a minute; I noticed you weren't drinking your drink so I told her to just bring you a soda." Alex answered, turning to look at his girlfriend. "You ready to hit the floor again?"

"Let's go." Isabel took his hand and they quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"I just don't get it," Justin muttered, shaking his head. "I've been here for several hours and I haven't been hit on once. Seriously, Maria, how did Whitman go to the middle of nowhere and come back here with a woman that looks like that?"

"Sorry for the holdup, folks," a tall redhead apologized as she placed the drinks on the table. "It's crazy tonight."

"My friend ordered soda for me," Maria said when the woman placed an alcoholic drink in front of her.

The waitress frowned as she looked down at her order pad. "Yes, he did. Sorry, like I said, it's been crazy tonight; I'll take it back and get your soda."

Less than a minute later the drink was placed on the table in front of her again, but before Maria could make a negative response a gruff voice whispered in her ear.

"As I recall, a _Screaming Orgasm_ is one of your favorites."

"Michael!" She whirled around and launched herself into his arms, forgetting that she was mad at him for not calling or being there when she went back to Roswell. "Where have you been?"

"Takin' a closer look at myself and getting my shit in order."

Justin cleared his throat and was reaching out to grab Maria's arm to get her attention when a large hand wrapped around his wrist and twisted it painfully. His gaze shot up to the man holding her.

"Don't touch her," Michael growled. "And you," he glanced down at Maria. "You don't ever dance with him again."

Justin pulled his wrist free and shot to his feet. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you have no right to tell her who she can and can't dance with."

Michael glared at him and the only thing that kept him from getting in the other man's face was the feel of the woman in his arms. "You're lucky I didn't walk out on that dance floor and kick your ass for puttin' your hands on her – "

"Hey, I did nothin' inappropriate; trust me she would've damaged body parts if I had."

"Appropriate, inappropriate, I don't give a fuck," Michael snarled. "Don't ever let me catch you with your hands on her again."

"Hey, don't take Justin's head off," Maria said, leaning back to run her hands over his chest. "He's the one I told you about, Michael, the one who sent me to Roswell to protect me." She reached up, taking his chin in her hand and directing his gaze to her. "He's not interested in me like that." She glanced between the two men. "Michael, meet Justin Turner, my editor and friend. Justin, meet Michael Guerin… the man I love." She looked up into his dark eyes, searching them and finding what she was looking for. He had some explaining to do, but she wasn't going to rush to judgment this time. "I think it'd be safe to say you can get used to seeing him around from now on."

Justin grinned and offered his right hand, not surprised when the other man ignored it and growled menacingly at him.

"Someone's feeling territorial," Maria muttered under her breath as she turned to look at her boss. "You're on your own, Justin; we're going home." She smiled when she felt Michael's body relax in response to her words.

"Hey, DeLuca, take the limo home; I'll call Fred and tell him to meet you out front."

"We can catch a cab, Justin."

"Uh-huh." He shook his head. "Just take the limo; I don't wanna see the competition coverin' a story about my lead reporter getting arrested for public indecency."

"I'm not – "

He snorted and sat down again. "How long's it been since you've seen each other?" He shook his head and waved them off. "You're never gonna make it all the way across town; take the limo."


	14. Chapter 14

**Part 14**

As promised, Fred was waiting at the curb when they exited the club and he opened the back door for them. He reached for the heavy duffel bag Michael was carrying and he frowned when the young man turned and glared at him.

"Michael, he's just gonna toss it in the back," Maria said, tugging on his hand as she slid into the plush interior. "It'll just be in the way if you insist on bringing it with you."

He released the bag when the sound of her husky voice caught his attention and he quickly climbed in after her. He glanced around at the leather seats and the luxurious interior, his eyes scanning over the wet bar and the built-in television and stereo. "Your friend must pay a fortune to rent this thing."

Maria laughed at that. "Justin doesn't rent anything; he's a trust fund baby. Fred's been with his family for years and when Justin went out on his own, Fred went with him." She looked up when the older man slid in behind the wheel and turned his head to look at her. "Mr. Turner suggested that you might like to take the long way home, Ms. DeLuca?" he asked, seeking confirmation.

"Yes, thank you, Fred."

He simply nodded and leaned forward to press a button and a moment later the tinted glass that divided the driver from the rest of the limo lifted.

"So, he can't see through that, right?" Michael asked, nodding at the glass.

"Not a thing."

"And he can't hear anything that goes on back here?"

Her green eyes sparkled playfully. "Depends on how loud it gets."

"Guess I'll have to find a way to occupy that mouth of yours then, because you're a screamer."

She laughed and moved to straddle his thighs, her hands making quick work of the buttons on his shirt. They kissed hungrily, pouring all of the frustration from their time apart into it; teeth clashed, tongues dueled, and even when the need for oxygen began to make its presence known they didn't separate.

Michael was the one to break the kiss and he stared at her as he waited for his breathing to reach a level of comfort so that he could form a sentence. "How does he know where you live?"

"What?" Maria wasn't sure how that was relevant to anything.

"The driver didn't ask for your address." He frowned. "Justin's driver… how does he know where you live?"

She was ridiculously delighted by his tone. "You're jealous." She brought her amusement under control when she felt a different kind of tension settle over his body where he was pressed against her. "I've never slept with Justin; he's my boss, my friend, and a really great guy, but that's all. Fred's driven me, Alex, and several others home more than once, and I'm sure he just has a good memory when it comes to addresses."

"I saw the way you were dancin' with him."

"I knew you were there; I could feel it." She shook her head and brought her hands up to cradle his face. "We were hanging out and dancing, that's all there was to it; I've danced with Alex the same way, Michael, it doesn't mean anything. Justin knew the second you entered the picture that you and I are together, he didn't even have to ask; no one around us will ever need to question if we belong to each other, this thing between us… this connection or whatever you wanna call it, is tangible and real."

Michael nodded, dividing his attention between her words and the feel of her skin under his fingertips. His hands settled more fully on her bare thighs, sliding up under her short red skirt. His touch was hypnotic as his palms would slide up before lifting so that only his fingertips were brushing against her as they slid back down.

Maria laughed out loud when his hands finally completed their torturous route and his shocked gaze shot up to meet her amused eyes. "Problem?"

"You were dancin' with him without any panties on?" he growled, his voice rough as he pushed her skirt up to verify what he already knew.

Maria pretended to consider her answer. "Would that bother you?" He looked like he was on the verge of exploding at the mere thought that Justin had been in a position with such an opportunity available to him.

"Would it bother me?" His voice was low and dangerous as he repeated her question. "You were out there with your ass practically in his crotch and you're askin' me if – " His rant trailed off when she chuckled and dangled a pair of panties from one finger.

"I took them off while I was waiting for you to finish fighting with Fred over your bag."

That was all it took to placate him and within seconds he was pulling her down to fuse their mouths together again. His hands moved to her top, pushing it up and out of the way so he could shift his attention to her breasts. He had barely gotten started when she started insistently tugging on handfuls of his hair and she moved against him restlessly.

"Stop teasing, Michael," she panted. Their hands collided and tangled as they fought to unbuckle his belt and undo his jeans. "Okay, no more belts for you… it takes too long to get you out of them."

He laughed, the sound ragged. "No problem." The belt finally gave in to the pulling and tugging and he brushed her hands away as he struggled with the zipper. "I got this… no need to damage the goods; that would completely ruin the mood." As soon as the zipper was dealt with her hands appeared again under the guise of helping him; her hand brushed against him as he was lifting his hips to shove his jeans down and out of the way and he jumped at the contact.

Maria wasn't expecting his reaction when he reared up and she quickly realized just how low the roof of the limo was. "Ow." She rubbed the top of her head and tried to glare at him but his expression was such a comical mix of disbelief, shock, and arousal that she started laughing instead.

"I don't think we could be any worse at this if we tried," he grumbled as he shook his head and laughed under his breath. "But, if it matters, I'd rather be bad at this with you than good at it with anybody else."

"We just need more practice," she insisted with a smile. "At least with the spontaneous stuff, I think if we were any better at the rest of it we'd kill each other. And, Michael?" Her gaze was serious as she lifted up onto her knees and rested her forearms on his shoulders. "What you said? It does matter… more than anything."

He nodded and took advantage of her position to lift his hips and shove his jeans and boxers down and out of the way. He rested back against the seat and pulled her mouth down to his; her arms tightened around his shoulders and his big hands settled on her hips, guiding her movements as he joined their bodies.

A month apart had left them starved for each other and it didn't take long before their movements became wild and frantic in an effort to find release. Maria lifted her mouth from his neck, admiring her mark on his skin as she leaned back in his arms to look at him. He was magnificent as he threw his head back, the tendons in his neck pushing rigidly against the flesh covering them, and his eyes screwed tightly shut as he bit his bottom lip.

She knew the exact moment he reached the point of no return; she could feel it in his movements of course, but it was more than that… in that moment his eyes opened and he met her gaze, and everything he felt was laid open to her. It had been like that from the very first time they had made love and in those moments she could clearly read his every emotion.

Michael's mouth crashed into hers just in time to capture her scream and then he held her against him as he slumped back against the seat. He gentled the kiss as his hands moved over her body, soothing away the last of the tremors. "We don't ever go a month without havin' sex again," he panted when he released her.

"No," Maria agreed, leaning forward to rest against him.

Silence settled over them as they rested for a few minutes, waiting for their hearts to stop pounding and their breathing to return to normal. The limo eased to a stop a short while later and Fred waited several minutes before knocking discreetly on the window. The older man waited patiently as they put themselves back together, not opening the door until Maria reached out to rap her knuckles against the window.

Michael stepped out behind Maria, ready to take the old man's head off if he made a single comment, but Fred simply handed him his duffel bag and wished them a good evening before taking his leave.

"I told you he wouldn't say anything," Maria said, nudging him with her elbow as she nodded at the doorman who held the door open for them. "Evening, Jerry. This's Michael Guerin, he'll be staying with me, and no, you can't touch."

The short, stocky man returned her greeting and pouted as his gaze slid over Michael once; his blue eyes gleamed appreciatively as he memorized the man's features for future reference. "Evening, Mr. Guerin."

Michael nodded shortly and followed Maria inside to the elevator. "Why was he lookin' at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like I was a buffet for a starvin' man."

"Jerry's harmless," she insisted as she punched the button for the seventh floor. She reached up to smooth her fingertips over the hickey that was just high enough to be seen above his shirt collar. "Besides, it's pretty obvious that you belong to me."

Michael shook his head as he leaned back against the wall, his eyes following the floor indicators as the light moved from one floor number to the next. They stepped out on the seventh floor and walked down the hall to the third door on the left. He entered the apartment behind her and his gaze swung around, taking in the comfortable furnishings, the eccentric paintings hung on the walls, and the atmosphere that just felt welcoming.

Maria was chewing on her lips as she watched him moving around, taking everything in. She followed him as he moved from room to room, his presence filling up every inch of space in the apartment. She wasn't sure how he would react to her home; it hadn't taken very long to realize that he had a chip on his shoulder about growing up in a trailer park.

When they reached her bedroom he walked around for a few minutes before opening the closet door and looking inside. _Good grief,_ he thought, shocked, _it was as big as his bedroom in the trailer! _

"I haven't found a job yet," he said finally. "I've got money; I sold the trailer and I had some in savings…" He paused when she shook her head. "What?"

"I don't care about any of that, Michael." She quickly realized that he had taken her statement the wrong way. "What I meant was I'm not worried about you finding a job or how much money you have; you'd never be content if you weren't paying your own way and I know that. I just wanna know why you're here."

Michael nodded in understanding. "When we were in Roswell you said the reason I had never left was because I was safe there." He shook his head in denial. "You were wrong about that. Safety was never a reason behind my lack of motivation; I just never had any real reason to go out and make somethin' of myself. Isabel has been tryin' for years to motivate me, to get me to pursue jobs that would get me out of Roswell, but the truth is, I didn't really care one way or the other." He dropped his duffel bag on the floor at the end of her dresser. "After you left I had to take a hard look at myself; I needed to figure out what I wanted out of life and how I was gonna achieve it."

"I went there, but you were gone."

He heard the hurt mingled into her accusation and he turned to look at her. "I hounded the cops in Roswell and I kept an eye on the news so I knew what was goin' on with you until I could get away. It drove me crazy knowin' that you were here, possibly in danger, but the cops had more questions on that end and I couldn't leave until they had closed the investigation. While they were busy with that I was tryin' to figure things out, puttin' in my notice at the bar, sellin' the trailer… We must've just missed each other, Maria."

"Isabel said she couldn't reach you."

He scratched his eyebrow with his thumb as he met her gaze evenly. "I avoided Isabel because I needed a clear head to figure things out, and she's got a way of tryin' to step in and fix things, but this was one time when I had to figure things out on my own. But as soon as the cops closed everything up, I was on the first flight out here."

"So, since you're here, would it be safe to say that you've figured things out?"

"You were right when you said I've got trust issues, Maria, but I don't think I'm the only one with that issue. If we're gonna do this then we've gotta be totally honest with each other from now on." He cleared his throat and stared at his hands for a few moments. "I should've told you the truth about myself; you deserved to know and I shouldn't have played it like that. It just felt good to tell you stuff about me and have you still look at me like I was the man you had fallen in love with. I was too chicken-shit to tell you that it wasn't just some bullshit small town line I was feedin' you to make you laugh and get you into bed."

Maria gripped the edge of the dresser tightly as she finally admitted to herself that her feelings about her parents' livelihood and her attitude towards all things related to the paranormal had created a barrier between them. "You're right," she said after several minutes of silence, "I've got some trust issues to work through, too." She chewed on her thumbnail as she lifted her head to look at him. "So, we're agreed that we're both flawed… what's next?"

She watched him as he became mobile once more, moving around the room until he reached the balcony doors. He unlocked them and pushed them open, staring outside for several minutes before taking a couple of steps over the threshold to look around. She easily recognized the tactic, so she waited patiently for him to finish putting his thoughts together.

When he came back inside and closed the doors, locking them once more, he took a deep breath and turned to face her. "I thought I'd start out with a job at one of the clubs; I figure they're always lookin' for good bartenders and I'm damn good at that. As far as a career goes I don't know what I wanna do, but I can figure it out as I go. The only thing I do know for sure is that this is where I wanna be; I'm not willin' to lose you because I'm scared of movin' forward, Maria." He reached up to scratch his eyebrow with his thumb. "So, if you don't have any objection to havin' an alien around…"

"You're sure this's what you want?"

Michael crossed the room to stand in front of her and his hands came up to cradle her face. "I'm sure I love you." He shrugged. "I may not be sure of anything else, but I am sure about that." He held his breath as he waited to see what she would say, knowing that his future rested on what she said next.

"That's enough," she said, stretching up to kiss him. "That's everything."

And it was.

The End


End file.
